Master of the Shadow Clones
by noheartx
Summary: A complete retelling of Naruto's Life. His lineage is never kept a secret,  Jiraiya acts like the godfather he should have been, and everything is  completely different. How will Naruto's life change, and will it be for the better?
1. Chapter 1

**Master of the Shadow Clones**

**AN: Ok so herein lies the rebirth of Master of the Shadow Clones! As I stated in that announcement you probably were all so happy to receive(sarcasm), this is the rewrite of the original. I mainly wanted to do this because there were a lot of inconsistencies in the story; so many that it actually discouraged me from wanting to continue. But I'm still extremely proud of this piece, as it holds my first glimpse of success on this site, so I decided that I would not quit, and instead I would go back and fix everything that needs fixing, tweak all of the technical shit, and maybe put a little more depth into it. As you read, you may notice some changes to the story, both significant and insignificant, but I will try to stay as close as possible to my original piece. I'm sorry to all of the people who have been waiting for me to stop dicking around for so long, and your patience is appreciated. **

**Now, to all of the people who are reading this for the first time! This story is a complete retelling of the Naruto universe, and the story is far unlike any other Naruto story you have read. This is a mature story with multiple references to drug use(marijuana), intense violence, strong language, dumb humor, satire, sexual situations and innuendo, and probably a whole lot of other shit people would get mad at me for. If you are a sensitive person, I suggest you don't read this, because at one point I'm sure I'll offend you in some way, shape or form, and I don't have the time nor do I care about your insecurities. If you read this and then try to tell me that weed is bad for you, I'll probably send you an angry review reply chock full of positive marijuana facts and a few insults. And all that jazz. See, I've begun to ramble. So I'll shut up and let you read. Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 1: Of Death and Demons

The resonance of destruction and chaos echoed through Minato's head as he dodged the insanely strong blows this masked man liked to dish out. While his village was being destroyed by the most powerful Tailed Beast in existence, he was stuck fighting a freakishly powerful man with impossibly long limbs and a single Sharingan eye, which frustrated him to no end. If he survived this he would have to have a word with Fugaku…

"Had enough yet? I thought you were supposed to be able to kill thousands in seconds? I'm not impressed." Minato never let taunts get to him, in fact, he prided himself on his ability to keep his composure. But when he saw Kushina's dead body, well composure was the last thing on his mind. As he slammed another Rasengan into the assailant he was not surprised to see that, once again, he had brushed off his signature technique like a fly.

"What are you made of?" Minato asked in astonishment as he flashed away. The assassin just chuckled with amusement.

"You don't wanna know the answer to that." His arm stretched out and snatched Minato by his throat, but the Hokage was gone in a flash, and he reappeared behind the assailant. Two three-pronged kunai were thrust into his back, and the assassin roared in anger as blood spilled down his back. He turned around and slammed his hands on the ground, creating a fissure that seemed to never end. Minato watched as the assassin wrenched both kunai out of his back, and he realized that it was not blood, but a thick, black liquid. The man's Sharingan pierced him with hatred from across the canyon, and then he was suddenly gone. Minato immediately turned around and started flashing towards the village, not bothering to chase him.

There was already too much at stake.

XxX

"Just a little longer! We must hold it at bay until the Hokage arrives!" One Leaf ninja shouted to his comrades. Although he didn't really believe that was possible at this point. The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox was just too powerful. Hundreds of Leaf ninja were already dead, with hundreds more wounded. It would truly take a miracle for the Leaf to come out on top.

"Fire Style: Big Flame Bullet!" Jiraiya exhaled a huge breath of fire powered up with Toad Oil right into the Nine-Tail's face. The fox reared its head back and howled in pain, but quickly countered with a tail swipe, sending Jiraiya flying to the ground. "Shit…"

"Look it's the Fourth Hokage!" Not a second after that exclamation did a loud tremor sweep through the earth as Gamabunta, the boss of the Toad Summons, landed on the Nine-Tails, flattening it against the earth. A guttural roar of defiance ripped through the air as the toad was blown away by a pulse of malevolent, crimson chakra, destroying the terrain in its path. In a bright, yellow flash, Minato appeared next to Jiraiya and helped him up. A long, hard-as-diamond staff cracked the Nine-Tails in the skull, sending it back down to the ground. The old Third Hokage had donned his armor once more in the name of his village, much to the protest of his family. 'Retirement be damned! Just because I am not the current Hokage does not mean I am not Hokage!' Of course, he was right.

"I'll hold it down Minato! You focus on the sealing!" Hiruzen jumped away and engaged the Fox after that, using the Adamantine Nyoi, a weapon which could extend as far as the eye could see and would never break or scratch. The weapon was really a transformed version of Enma, the Monkey King and personal summon of the Third Hokage.

"Sealing? What is he talking about Minato?" He asked desperately. The blonde Hokage nodded solemnly. Jiraiya then noticed that he had a bundle of blankets in his arms. "What is…" Minato looked at Jiraiya with eyes full of sorrow.

"I didn't want to have to do this…but I don't see any other choice." Jiraiya paled as the blankets shifted and a tiny hand poked out.

"Is that-"

"Yes. This is my son. It's too bad I'll never get to raise the boy."

"What do you mean?" Jiraiya already understood the reason for Naruto's presence. He was to become the next Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, like his mother before him. But why wouldn't Minato be able to raise him? "What have you done boy?"

"'I've created the most complex and efficient sealing technique for a Jinchuriki. With this seal, I will split the Nine Tails Chakra in half, Yin and Yang, and seal both halves in myself and Naruto respectively. Then over the years as Naruto's chakra coils grow, he will start to slowly absorb the Nine-Tail's chakra until he absorbs all of it." As Minato explained this, Jiraiya stared at him in amazement. Jiraiya was probably the only person in the Hidden Leaf who truly understood just how hard a seal of that magnitude would be to pull off, and yet Minato talked about it like it was a simple exploding tag.

"How the hell did you create something like that? Furthermore, how are you going to hit the Fox with that huh? And you still haven't answered my question about why you can't raise Naruto." Jiraiya was talking too fast and too seriously, but Minato understood his concern.

"Kushina…is dead. Someone figured out that Kushina went into labor, and a man with a single Sharingan eye came to where we were doing the birth. The ANBU were dead before they knew what was going on. I saved Naruto but…" The blonde Hokage looked down and shuddered, "…dammit that was what he had wanted me to do. I was in my safehouse when suddenly I felt the Nine-Tail's chakra, and I knew there was nothing I could do. By the time I got back, the Nine-Tails was free and a kunai was buried to the hilt in her head." Jiraiya was visibly taken aback by his student's bluntness. It wasn't like him.

"We'll get him-"

"No we won't. You can, I won't. I have a date with death in a few moments. That's one date you won't see for awhile Sensei, but I guess the hookers will hold you over until then. Just tell Hiruzen that I'm sorry I failed him. Oh, and if you see Kakashi please tell him the same." Minato stated as he interrupted the Sannin.

"What? What do you mean you have a date with death? I don't like how you're talkin' right now Minato. If you seal the Nine-Tails-"

"I will die." Minato interrupted once again, this time with finality. "The cost of power is great Sensei. You should know that. In this case, it's my soul. But I'm willing to pay it if it will save the village. It's the least I can do." Jiraiya was totally baffled.

"Least you can do! You won the fucking war! And don't give me the humble shit boy; you and I both know it's damn true. That's why you wear that hat." The white haired man stated angrily.

"And it's because I wear this hat that I have to do this. It is a Hokage's duty to sacrifice himself for the village. If this is what I must do to save the home that I love and cherish, then so be it." Minato rebutted sadly. Jiraiya could only fume silently as his once eager and positive student-turned-Hokage got ready to sacrifice himself. "'Just promise me one thing Sensei." Jiraiya glared at Minato for a long second before he sighed and shook his head. Stubborn boy.

"Anything Minato. Name it and I'll do it."

"Watch over him for me. I just…I just want him to be happy. He deserves it." Jiraiya nodded.

"I'll do it. As the boy's Godfather it's my duty right?" Minato smiled.

"Thank you Sensei. You don't know how much that means to me." Minato then turned to see the Demon Fox barred in a cage made out of the Adamantine Nyoi.

"Now Minato!" Hiruzen shouted as the fox bellowed in rage. The Blonde Hokage nodded handed Naruto to Jiraiya before pulling out a scroll and making the last hand sign he would ever make. "Goodbye Sensei. Dead Demon Consuming Seal!" The scroll opened, and a large, circular seal with a whirlpool pattern flashed red as blue chakra chains shot out of it and almost mummified the Fox. Enma transformed back to normal as the chains slowly lifted the Nine-Tails into the air and ripped it in half, an image that would stay seared into the minds of every ninja fighting that day. The two halves were then pulled back and siphoned into both Naruto and Minato's bodies. Identical seals appeared on their stomachs, and Naruto's crying had ceased. Gamabunta, who had recovered just moments ago, knelt down next to Jiraiya as the Sannin caught Minato in his arms.

"What did I miss?" Jiraiya glared at the Toad Boss.

"Everything you fool."

"What! How dare you call me a fool Jiraiya. Forget Snakeskin wallets, I could use a new Jiraiya-skin wallet!" The toad bellowed challengingly.

"I'm not in the mood to joke around Gamabunta. Minato is dying." That got the toads attention, and his demeanor did a three-sixty.

"Minato! What happened?" The Hokage laughed hoarsely.

"Details details…what does it matter now? I did what I had to do. The village is safe, Naruto is safe, and I retrieved the Nine-Tails, although that never really mattered. Now I just need to rest…" Jiraiya shook him.

"Not yet. We can save you Minato. Just don't give up!" Jiraiya wanted to take Minato and run, but with Naruto in his arms he couldn't carry both. And he certainly wasn't going to leave either of them.

"No. I saw the Death God. I saw his arm as it reached into my stomach and ripped out my soul. I know it was real too." He coughed. "Don't worry Sensei, everything is fine now. Just take care of Naruto and everything will…be…" His words were swept up in the wind as his life faded away, and not a second later, a bolt of yellow lightning streaked across the sky. Jiraiya gazed at it in awe before he started to laugh.

"Even after you're dead, you're still the fastest."

XxX

"That's quite a story Jiraiya." Hiruzen Sarutobi commented. Jiraiya had explained, in detail, Minato's final moments to the newly reinstated Third Hokage as soon as he returned to the village.

"And now we have his legacy to protect." Jiraiya said, looking down at Naruto. The blonde baby was fast asleep, with a look of serenity on its face. "I promised Minato I would look after the boy, and I won't go back on my word." Hiruzen nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I think that is the best course of action. Unfortunately, now that I have my old position back, I do not believe I would be able to adequately care for the boy. But Jiraiya, how do you expect the village to react? Surely they will call for Naruto's blood." A look of pure anger and determination appeared on Jiraiya's face.

"They'll have to go through me first. I'll kill anyone who tries to harm Naruto, Leaf ninja or not." Hiruzen could tell that Jiraiya was completely serious, and he honestly couldn't blame him. Jiraiya was going to treat the boy like his very own flesh and blood.

"I understand your feelings Jiraiya, but please do not do anything stupid." Jiraiya shook his head.

"It would be stupid on their part, not mine." Hiruzen sighed. He would just have to accept Jiraiya's aggressiveness. The door to the Hokage's office suddenly opened, and both Hiruzen and Jiraiya frowned. "Danzo." The old war hawk shuffled into the room, his face being an emotionless mask. What you could see of it at least.

"Hiruzen. And Jiraiya, you're here as well." Jiraiya 'tched' at the man and took a seat in the corner of the room. Danzo ignored Jiraiya's blatant disrespect and moved to sit in front of Hiruzen.

"How can I help you Danzo?" Danzo looked over at Jiraiya, and his eyes locked on to the boy in his arms.

"So that's the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails." Jiraiya head snapped up and he glared at the elder. Danzo turned back to Hiruzen. "I have a request." Hiruzen raised his eyebrow.

"What do you request?"

"I wish to take the boy under my wing and train him myself."

"Absolutely not!" Jiraiya interjected.

"You are not the Hokage." Danzo shot back with a glare.

"But I am. And Jiraiya has already been given custody of the boy." Danzo's single eye narrowed.

"You would waste the opportunity to create a powerful weapon for the Leaf because of sentimentality? You are a fool Hiruzen." Jiraiya stood up now, enraged at the old man.

"He is not meant to be a weapon! He's a hero you bastard! Minato would never let anyone use his son as a weapon and dammit I won't either!" Danzo's eyes widened.

"Son…?" Hiruzen nodded.

"Yes, Naruto is in fact the son of our late Fourth Hokage. That is why the Nine-Tails was sealed into him, because Minato did not think it would be appropriate to use another person's child if he could not sacrifice his own." Danzo sat in silence for a moment before standing.

"Very well. But you are making a mistake." With that, the old war hawk exited the room. Jiraiya glared at the door.

"That man pisses me off."

XxX

"I wonder what the Hokage wants to tell us." Maito Gai commented as all of the ninja and civilians in the village gathered around the Hokage Tower.

"I'm sure it has something to do with…recent events." Kakashi Hatake answered. At 15, Kakashi was already one of the most respected ninja in the village, having achieved the rank of Jonin at age 13, and ANBU only a year later. Along with him were Maito Gai, one of Kakashi's friends and an eccentric Chuunin, Asuma Sarutobi, son of the Third Hokage and a Chuunin as well, and Shikaku Nara, lazy genius of the Nara Clan and Jonin rank ninja.

"It looks like we'll be finding out now." Shikaku said, pointing at the Hokage, who had just emerged from the tower. He stood on top of the tower, and he activated a technique that would amplify his voice.

"Thank you all for coming. I know many of you are busy rebuilding your shops and homes, so I promise to make this quick." Behind the Hokage stood his former student. In Jiraiya's arms he held a bundle of blankets. "As you know, our Fourth Hokage gave his life to defeat the Nine-Tails in combat and save our village." Murmurs of sorrow and regret spread through the crowd. Everyone had been affected by the death of their Leader. "But what most of you don't know is that a Tailed Beast cannot truly be defeated. Instead, they must be sealed into something…or someone." At this point, Jiraiya stepped forward, handing Naruto to the Third. "Before he died, Minato used a Sealing Technique of great power to seal the Fox into his own son." The crowd was deathly quiet. That piece of information had hit them like a hammer. "The Fourth Hokage's final wish was to see his son treated like a hero, because he is what keeps the Nine-Tails at bay. Without him, we may not be here right now." There was a low murmur that reverberated through the crowd. Most of the people there didn't really know how to feel about this. On one hand, Sarutobi was right. He was keeping the Nine-Tails at bay. On the other hand, what if the Nine-Tails was able to control the boy, or worse, break the seal. "I understand how many of you may feel," Hiruzen continued, "but you must understand that there is nothing to fear. The seal is the strongest of its kind, and there is no way the Demon Fox could escape." Hiruzen knew that wasn't entirely true, but the only people who could let the fox free were Minato and Jiraiya. And eventually, Naruto. "So please, I beseech all of you to view this boy as a hero, and not as a demon. Honor the memory of the Fourth Hokage by treating his legacy with respect and kindness."

Hiruzen observed the crowd. Some of the people seemed to accept his speech, and held no hostility towards Naruto. But he could tell not everyone shared the same sentiment. Some were angry, whether it was over the loss of a comrade or what have you, and wanted Naruto's head as payment. He sighed as he turned around to report back to his office. It would be a hectic day, and he needed a little time to prepare himself.

'_I'm going to need my pipe to get through this one.'_

XxX

The Hokage, Clan Heads, and all of the other important people in the Leaf Village sat around a long conference table. At the head sat the Hokage himself, with his one remaining student seated on the right side of him. Then there were the two village elders, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, as well as Danzo Shimura. There were the Clan Heads, Hiashi Hyuuga, Inoichi Yamanaka, Chouza Akimichi, Shikaku Nara, Fugaku Uchiha, Shibi Aburame, and Tsume Inuzuka. Hiruzen represented the Sarutobi Clan. Then there were the representatives of the civilian sector, Jizuna Kaikoru and Daidashi Tsukedo.

"You made a bold declaration today Hiruzen. Do you think it was smart to inform the village of Naruto's Jinchuriki status?" Koharu asked skeptically.

"I did what I thought was right. Minato's last request was that Naruto be treated as a hero. I must respect his wishes."

"And in doing so you have wasted a valuable tool." Danzo interjected. Jiraiya clenched his fists but stayed silent. An outburst from him would only hurt Sarutobi's argument.

"We will not discuss this again Danzo. Naruto will be placed under the care of Jiraiya. He is the boy's godfather, and he is next in line to receive him." Danzo shifted in his seat but said nothing more.

"While I understand your reasons Lord Hokage," Hiashi supplied, "I see much wisdom in Danzo's opinion. With a weapon like that, surely our enemies would think twice before any kind of attack." Danzo smirked.

"I agree as well. This is an opportunity we cannot afford to pass up." Koharu announced.

"This is not up for discussion. As the Hokage I have already given my judgment on the matter. Do you wish to defy your Hokage?" That silenced everyone. "Good. Now, let's move on to the next order of business. Our forces are greatly diminished at this point. We lost too many ninja to the Nine-Tails, and our forces are the weakest they have been since after the last war. In order to counter this problem, I must ask that all Clan Heads be reinstated as active ninja and start accepting missions again." A few of the Clan Heads seems surprised, but others just nodded.

"Anything for the village." Shikaku replied.

"Fine with me." Tsume added.

"While I do not disagree with this course of action, who will run our clans for us?" Fugaku asked.

"Relegate your responsibilities to the Clan Elders if you must. But we need our strongest ninja out on missions to show that we are not so weak. My student will be accepting missions as well. In the mean time, we will do a complete overhaul of the Ninja Academy curriculum so that students can be promoted to Genin at an earlier age. It may not be the best course of action, but we need to bolster our numbers." No one voiced their disagreement, so Hiruzen leaned back in his chair. "That is all I have to say. If any of you wish to speak the floor is yours." Shikaku Nara cleared his throat.

"I think we should restore Jonin status to a good portion of our ANBU. It would give the appearance of having a larger army, and they could still take on similar missions." Hiruzen nodded.

"That sounds like a good idea. Does anyone have any objections?" No one said anything. "Very well, I will see that it is done." Shikaku nodded. "Anything else?" It stayed silent. "Good, then this meeting is adjourned."

XxX

"Wait, what?" Kakashi was confused. He had just been called into the Hokage's Office to find out that he was essentially being kicked out of ANBU and being reinstated as a Jonin. While it didn't really bother him, he'd rather have stayed in ANBU. "I'm confused Lord Hokage."

"You see Kakashi, after the attack from the Nine-Tails our forces are at an all time low. By reinstating you as a Jonin, your name is back on the roster, and our numbers are bolstered. As an ANBU, you aren't technically on the official list of ninja." Hiruzen explained.

"I see. Well, anything for the village Lord Hokage." Hiruzen smiled. With that, Kakashi exited the office, leaving Hiruzen alone. That had been the last ANBU-turned-Jonin of the day, and the Hokage didn't have another appointment until later that evening. So he took out his pipe and packed it full of grinded up marijuana. While many would say that it was immoral to smoke the substance, Hiruzen disagreed. In fact, he knew many ninja in his force smoked the stuff after a stressful day or mission. It was better than tobacco, because it was completely harmless, and the feeling you got was much more relaxing. So, he lit his pipe and took a long hit, keeping the smoke deep in his lungs, and exhaling after a few seconds. Just then, he heard a knocking on his window, and he only knew of one person with the audacity to enter through the window.

"Come in Jiraiya." The window slid open, and Jiraiya hopped into the room. "Keep the window open." Jiraiya walked over to the desk, and the scent of the smoke filled his nose.

"Stressful day?" Hiruzen just nodded and set the pipe down in front of Jiraiya, who picked it up and took a hit. "Oh yea, that's the good stuff." Hiruzen shook his head with a smile.

"What do you need Jiraiya?" The Sannin set the pipe down and shrugged.

"Nothing really. I've just been a little on edge. Naruto is a handful. I think this is the first time he's slept in two days. I love the kid but he's a damn handful. So I left thirty Shadow Clones and decided to pop in for a visit." Hiruzen chuckled.

"Well he is Minato's son." Jiraiya scoffed.

"More than you know it. Did you know he can already walk? He's a month old! That should be physically impossible!" Hiruzen's eyes widened.

"That's impressive. He's going to make a fine ninja one day." Jiraiya nodded.

"You bet your ass he is. And I'm going to be the one who trains him."

"Well of course you are. You're the only one who can." Hiruzen took another hit of the pipe and exhaled slowly. "You just better be careful. Who knows who might target him." Jiraiya sighed.

"I'm not so much worried about attack from within the village. Most of the ninja forces accept the fact that Naruto is just a host surprisingly. It's mostly the civilians who distrust him. I'm more worried about Hidden Rock…"

"Yes, if anyone were to make an attempt on his life it would be them." Back in the Third War, Minato had singlehandedly defeated entire battalions of Rock ninja literally in seconds with his Flying Thunder God Technique. It was how he got the nickname the Leaf's Yellow Flash. Since then the Hidden Rock had harbored an intense hatred for Minato and by association the Leaf Village. And surely that hatred would now be directed at Naruto.

"I know I can handle any assassins, and I have traps set up all over my estate, but I'm still worried y'know?"

"It's natural for you to be. He's your godson." Jiraiya sighed and walked back over to the window.

"Yea. Well, I should be getting back. Shadow Clones can get kinda stupid sometimes." With that, Jiraiya jumped out the window and returned to his abode. Hiruzen continued to smoke his pipe, hoping that soon everything would finally return to normal.

XxX

**AN: Well, there you have it. I'm sure there are a few things you're probably like "what the fuck" about, so let me explain. Jiraiya will stay and take care of Naruto, because he should have always been there for him. Especially as his Godfather. Also I'm not keeping Naruto's situation/heritage a secret. This time, he will know from the very beginning, and we'll see how that plays out. As for the weed thing, well I just smoke a lot of weed, so I like throwing it in my stories. Sue me. The next chapter will start with a time skip, although how far along I can't say, I haven't decided. It definitely won't be all the way to the academy, but it will be more than just a few years. I'm going to try and keep Naruto not overpowered, but it's going to be hard, considering Jiraiya is going to be training him. And it won't be half assed training. So, hopefully you enjoyed this, and next chapter will come along eventually. Peace.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Prodigy

"It's about time you got here." Jiraiya said as he shut the door behind his guest. "I heard you had a penchant for being late but this is a little ridiculous no?" His guest shrugged.

"I got lost on the road of life, what can I say?"

"What kind of excuse is that?" The silver-haired Jonin sighed. "Now what were you really doing?" Kakashi looked down at the ground.

"I was at the memorial stone." Jiraiya's eyes widened, and then an expression of understanding appeared on Jiraiya's face.

"Say no more kid. I understand." Kakashi nodded. "Let me take you to the kid." Jiraiya led Kakashi upstairs and into one of the large rooms of the estate, where Naruto was meditating quietly.

"You got him to meditate?" At this, Naruto's eyes popped open, and he smiled.

"Hi Kakashi!" The blonde boy jumped up and ran over to Kakashi, engulfing him in a hug.

"Not anymore." Jiraiya stated with a sigh.

"Hey Naruto. How's it been?"

"Great! Uncle Jiraiya started training me to become a ninja!" Kakashi turned to Jiraiya.

"Really? Don't you think four is a little young?"

"How old were you when you were put in the Ninja Academy?" Kakashi scratched his head and chuckled.

"Point taken. Seems like so long ago… Anyway what have you been teaching him?" The Jonin asked.

"Nothing too intense. Basic Chakra manipulation, some Taijutsu, and some weapons training. I'm sure he'd appreciate it if you helped him out a little too." Naruto's eyes lit up.

"That would be awesome! Will you help me train Kakashi? Please!" Kakashi laughed and ruffled the boy's hair.

"Sure, I'll help train you Naruto." The boy shouted in excitement.

"Yes! C'mon let's go now!" Naruto bolted out of the room, and he could be heard charging down the stairs and out the back door.

"Wow, he sure has a lot of energy." Jiraiya scoffed.

"Tell me about it. Sometimes he even tires me out."

"Great. So this isn't going to be a walk in the park?" Jiraiya laughed and put a hand on his junior's shoulder.

"No, not by a long shot." Kakashi sighed. "It's okay, I'll only be gone for two weeks, tops." Footsteps could be heard on the stairs, and seconds later Naruto appeared in the room again.

"C'mon Kakashi! What are you waiting for! I'm not gonna become Hokage if you don't train me!" Kakashi held his hands up.

"Okay okay, we'll go train now." Kakashi looked gravely Jiraiya before being dragged out the door. Jiraiya let out a chuckle as he followed the two boys. He was glad Kakashi could do this on such short notice, not that he really had a choice in the matter. His mission would take him all the way up to Lightning Country, and he knew he couldn't leave Naruto alone for that long. Even with his state of the art traps, someone was bound to try something stupid.

Over the years, the villagers had developed mixed feeling about Naruto. Most of the civilians still hated him, mostly because of their ignorance of Minato's genius. They still thought the Nine-Tails could escape at any time, and that Naruto was a menace to society. On the other hand, a good portion of the ninja population saw Naruto as what he truly was: a hero. They knew Minato's seal couldn't be broken without extreme circumstances, and with Jiraiya to watch over the boy, it was highly unlikely it would ever come to that. Of course, there were still some ninja who vowed to avenge their fallen comrades by slaying the demon, but that faction's numbers lessened every year. It was an ongoing battle, but Naruto was slowly gaining the recognition he deserved.

The main reason that Jiraiya didn't want to leave the boy alone however, was because of Hidden Rock. Like they predicted, as soon as word reached the ninja village about the Fourth Hokage's heir, there was a unanimous demand for his blood. Assassins had been sent multiple times over the years, all of whom had been dealt with easily by Jiraiya. When Hidden Rock found out it was Jiraiya of the Sannin that was watching over the boy, they got smarter. Now, assassination attempts only happened when he left the village, and if it weren't for the ANBU stationed around the estate 24/7, the boy would be dead. How Hidden Rock knew when Jiraiya would leave the village, he didn't know, but it was an extremely dangerous breach in security that they had no way of fixing without any evidence. ANBU had been looking into it for years now, but apparently whoever was doing this was very good at cleaning up after themselves.

Jiraiya did one final check of his gear before slipping out of his house and making his way to the village gates. He just wanted to get this mission over with so he could stop worrying.

XxX

"So what kind of techniques do you know?" Naruto asked excitedly. Kakashi and Naruto were sitting on Jiraiya's back porch after a surprisingly tiring training session. While the boy wasn't anything Kakashi couldn't handle, he had insurmountable amounts of energy, and tiring him out was a feat of its own. So for the past half hour, while they had been resting, Naruto had been pelting the Jonin with questions about ninjas, ninja techniques, missions, and really anything else that came to his mind. His thirst for knowledge was impressive, and he took to things like a leaf in the wind.

"Well Naruto, I know many techniques, thanks to my Sharingan." Naruto cocked his head.

"Sharingan? What's that?" Kakashi pulled up his headband and Naruto's face took an expression of awe. "Woah…your eye looks so cool!" Kakashi chuckled.

"Yea, it is pretty damn cool. It's also very powerful. You see, with this eye, I can copy a technique I see someone use just by watching how their chakra flows through their bodies."

"You can see people's chakra?" Kakashi nodded.

"With the help of this eye I can. It also gives me an enhanced perception of reality."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, it basically means that I can see things better and quicker than a normal eye. It's easier for me to read through a person's attack, and it gives me insight on what I can do to counter that attack. It has saved my life more times than I can remember." Naruto smiled.

"That's amazing. Is that something I can do too?" Kakashi shook his head.

"Unfortunately no. Do you know what a Bloodline Limit is?" Naruto nodded.

"Yea, Uncle Jiraiya explained it to me. It's a special ability passed down through certain clans right?" Kakashi nodded, once again surprised at the boy's knowledge.

'_He called him Uncle Jiraiya? Does that mean he knows about his parents?' _Kakashi pushed the thought aside and continued to explain.

"Correct. The Sharingan is a Bloodline Limit passed down through the Uchiha Clan." Naruto's face lit up with understanding.

"Oh I've heard of them! They live in the Leaf Village right?" Kakashi nodded. "But I thought your last name was Hatake."

"It is. I'm not an Uchiha. This eye was given to me by my dead teammate, Obito Uchiha. The story behind it is…a little gruesome and I'd rather not go into it. All you need to know is that this eye is the only living memento I have of Obito, and he saves my life everyday just by letting me see the danger a normal eye couldn't see." Naruto nodded.

"That's so cool. Well except for your teammate." Kakashi looked up into the sky.

"It's okay. He's in a better place right now." A solemn silence came over the two, until Naruto broke it with another question.

"So if you can copy techniques, you must know a lot right?"

"Over a thousand, actually. They call me the Copycat Ninja because of it." Naruto's eyes almost bugged out of his head.

"Over a thousand! That's a lot!" Kakashi laughed.

"It sure is. But I'm always learning more. Whenever I go on missions there's always a new technique to learn, and I take full advantage of my Sharingan to learn one." Naruto jumped up from his seat.

"Let's train more!" He exclaimed suddenly. Kakashi's eyes widened.

"Really? You're not tired?" Naruto shook his head furiously.

"No way! I'm always ready to train." Kakashi chuckled nervously and stood up.

'_This kid is going to be the death of me. Damn you Jiraiya.'_

XxX

"Come in." Hiruzen called out after hearing a knock on his door. The door opened, and a blonde blur raced around his desk and tackled the old Hokage into a hug.

"Hi Gramps!" Kakashi walked in after with a hand on his head.

"Naruto, I told you to be calm when we went to see the Hokage. Not tackle him." Hiruzen laughed and waved his former ANBU captain off.

"It's no trouble Kakashi. And hello Naruto. What brings you here today?" The blonde ball of energy looked up at Hiruzen with a bright, beaming smile.

"Come to lunch with us Gramps!" Hiruzen looked up at Kakashi, who, from what you could see at least, seemed mortified that this little boy was calling the Hokage 'Gramps'.

"I'd love to Naruto. Kiyoko!" A petite, brunette woman scurried into the office.

"Yes Lord Hokage?"

"Please hold all of my appointments for about an hour. I'll be heading out to lunch now." His secretary bowed in respect.

"Of course Lord Hokage. Anything else?"

"No that will be all." Kiyoko scurried back out of the room, and the Hokage stood up.

"Did you have a destination in mind Naruto?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"Ichiraku's!" Naruto shouted with a smile.

"Very well. Ichiraku's it is." The Hokage walked around his desk and left his office, followed by Naruto and Kakashi. They walked through the halls of the Hokage Mansion until they finally reached the exit. As they walked down the road, Naruto began to tell the Hokage of his training with Kakashi.

"Two Hours? Kakashi is that true?" The silver haired Jonin nodded.

"Yes sir. His stamina is truly amazing for a boy his age." The Hokage's eyes widened, and he smiled down at the boy.

"That's amazing Naruto! You're going to be a strong ninja one day." Naruto grinned.

"Yea! And I'm gonna take your hat!" Hiruzen seemed shocked by this, but then he let out a hearty chuckle.

"Well Naruto, that's a quite respectable goal. But the road to becoming Hokage is harsh. Do you think you have what it takes?" Naruto nodded.

"Of course! I won't give up until I become Hokage!" Hiruzen gazed into the boy's eyes and saw the fierce determination that burned there.

"I believe you Naruto. The Will of Fire burns strong in you. Don't ever lose sight of your dreams." Hiruzen smiled widely, and Naruto smiled back, both of them breaking into laughter. Kakashi just watched with interest, starting to understand the bond that the Hokage and Naruto shared. They were really like Grandfather and Grandson, one passing his knowledge and wisdom down to the next.

XxX

"Thank you for coming Kakashi." Kakashi nodded.

"Of course Lord Hokage." Hiruzen leaned back in his chair and took out his pipe.

"You don't smoke do you?" Kakashi's eyebrow rose.

"What, Asuma's never told you?" Hiruzen cocked his head slightly, and Kakashi's eyebrow widened. "Oh, you didn't know. Well you didn't hear it from me."

"Right." Hiruzen lit his pipe. "Anyway, the reason I asked you to be here was because I am curious about the depth of Naruto's skills. How strong is he?"

"Well, like I said before, his stamina is incredible. Easily Chuunin level. He has also mastered the tree climbing exercise, and he can even effectively use it in battle. His Taijutsu is a bastardized version of Jiraiya-Sama's Taijutsu, but it's wild and unpredictable. Although it's very effective. He actually landed a few hits. Granted, I wasn't going full strength, but it's still impressive." Hiruzen nodded.

"Well, it looks like we have another prodigy on our hands."

"Sir, if I may, might I suggest enrolling him in The Academy?" Kakashi asked carefully.

"The Academy? He's four!" The Hokage stated in defiance.

"Lord Hokage, I was five when I entered. We may have been at war, but Naruto is just as good, if not better, than I was at that age. He's a true genius. And that kind of potential shouldn't be wasted." The Hokage sighed deeply before leveling Kakashi with a contemplative stare.

"You were Minato's student, so it only makes sense that you would want to be involved with the boy. This isn't like you Kakashi." The silver haired Jonin smirked.

"Yea well, he brings it out in me."

"Yes he certainly does. He brings it out in everyone it seems… I'll speak to Jiraiya about it when I see him. I'm sure he'll be ecstatic." Hiruzen nodded and Kakashi walked out of the room with a bow. Hiruzen couldn't deny, if Kakashi's observations held true, that Naruto was 100% ready for The Academy, but he was just worried about the boy. He knew exactly what it was like to be a prodigy, and he hoped Naruto would be strong enough to make it through. Especially considering who his father was. Minato Namikaze was a pretty big damn name to live up to, considering he was the strongest shinobi of his generation. But maybe Naruto had the potential. He would just have to wait and see.

XxX

"The Academy? Are you serious?" Naruto asked, excitement dancing in his eyes.

"Yes I am! You'll be the youngest kid to ever be admitted into The Academy. I'm so proud." Jiraiya's smiled down at his godson. "And when you become a famous shinobi one day, it will be me, Jiraiya of the Sannin who can take credit for training you!" Naruto looked up at Jiraiya and frowned.

"Uncle Jiraiya, you're doing it again." Jiraiya blinked and sighed.

"Sorry kid. I guess I'm just excited to have a pupil again. You know I trained you father right?" Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Yea Uncle Jiraiya, you've told me like a million times." Jiraiya laughed.

"Alright I'll stop. But seriously you should be proud. You have the potential to be one of the strongest shinobi who ever lived, did you know that?" Naruto looked at Jiraiya in awe.

"What do you mean?" Jiraiya smiled and poked Naruto on the chest.

"You have a power inside you that can be matched by no other. If you never go back on your word, and never give up, then you will never fail." Naruto nodded firmly.

"I'll never give up. You know that." Jiraiya nodded.

"I know. Just remember, even in the darkest times, you must push on. No matter what happens."

"I told you, I'll never give up until I'm Hokage!" Jiraiya smiled.

"Good. Now, let's go get you enrolled in The Academy."

XxX

"It will take the three of us to defeat Jiraiya, but we can do it." A cloaked figure said. Four more cloaked figures stood in a circle in an empty warehouse in an unknown location.

"Jiraiya of the Sannin?" Another of the figures asked.

"Yes. He has already come dangerously close to discovering us once, we cannot afford for him to succeed in that." The first one responded.

"Do you really think we can take on one of the Legendary Sannin?"

"You do not need to worry about that. We will take care of that."

"Rest assured, the Sannin will die. You two are dismissed." The first figure stated firmly. Two of the figures, one of them being the one who questioned whether or not they could defeat Jiraiya, disappeared in swirls of wind. The three that remained started walking slowly the other way.

"Why are we doing this?" One of the cloaked figures, a girl, asked.

"Because it needs to be done." Another, a man, answered, his gritted teeth showing under his hood. "Some things in life aren't fair."

"But think about what you're doing!"

"It must be done!" The three figures stopped. One of them was breathing heavily. They stood in silence as the one figure caught his breath, and then they continued on their way in silence.

XxX

**A/N: Okay there's chapter two. So, basically, Naruto is a prodigy. Woo. Now, he's not really going to be over powered, but he will be ahead of everyone else. He will easily be the strongest of his generation, but it will take years for him to grow truly strong. I've already got some long range plot lines in my head. For instance, that last little part. I guess you can figure out what's going to happen. But this scene will be important later in the story as well. So remember it. Anyway, I'll get started on the next one soon, probably tonight. Enjoy. Peace.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Pain of Love

"Is that the Academy?" Jiraiya smiled down at his godson.

"Sure is. You ready for your first day?" Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Good. Now, I know you're going to find most of this stuff boring, but please at least try to pay attention?" Naruto sighed and nodded. "Alright. Just remember the other kids are going to be a lot older than you, but you can't let them intimidate you."

"I'm not scared of a bunch of children!" Naruto shouted in defiance. Jiraiya let out a throaty chuckle, the irony of the statement amusing him.

"Whatever you say kid. Now go. Have fun." Naruto nodded and dashed away from Jiraiya, joining the other children who were pouring into The Academy. Jiraiya smiled, a wave of nostalgia washing over him. Knowing Naruto, these next few years would be hell.

XxX

"Alright class, settle down." The chatters and whispers of the ninja prospects' ceased, and the Chuunin Instructor, Iruka Umino, cleared his throat. "Today, we have a new student. I'd like to introduce you to Naruto Namikaze." Iruka motioned towards the blonde, who was standing at Iruka's side. One of the student's hands rose.

"Yes Aki?"

"Are you related to the Fourth Hokage?" Naruto nodded.

"Yea, he was my dad." Whispers broke out across the room.

"He must be really strong."

"He has to be! But look how young he is!" Iruka tapped the blackboard.

"Ok that's enough! Naruto, you may sit wherever you like." Naruto nodded at the Chuunin and walked all the way to the back of the class, taking an empty seat in the far left corner next to a girl with long black hair and bright, shining blue eyes. They exchanged glances as Naruto sat down, and Naruto smiled at her.

"Hi! I'm Naruto." The girl blinked before smiling slightly.

"I'm Kairi." Kairi stared into Naruto's eyes for a moment. "So you're the son of the Hokage?"

"Yep."

"Then I want to fight you." Naruto's eyes widened.

"Why?"

"Well you have to be strong if you got into The Academy at this age." Kairi explained. "And if you're the Hokage's son I bet you've been trained well." Naruto nodded. "That's what I thought. So I'll fight you, and beat you, so I can be the strongest kunoichi in the Leaf Village." Naruto stared at her before grinning.

"I accept your challenge, but I'm not gonna lose! I'm gonna be Hokage one day!" Kairi nodded.

"Following in your father's footsteps? That's gonna be tough." Naruto shook his head.

"Doesn't matter. I'll never give up until I become Hokage." Kairi smiled at Naruto.

"I like you. Do you want to be friends?" Naruto grinned widely.

"Yes! I'd love to!" Kairi smiled back, and she blushed slightly.

"Ok. Then from now on, you're my best friend, Naruto Namikaze."

XxX

"Uncle Jiraiya!" Jiraiya spun around, seeing his godson running towards him from The Academy entrance.

"Hey kid, how was it?" Naruto shrugged.

"It was alright. I kinda knew a lot of the stuff they were teaching already. But I made a friend!" Jiraiya's eyebrow rose.

"Oh? And who might that be."

"Her name is Kairi. I sit next to her, and she's really cool." Jiraiya patted the boys head.

"Oho, already drawing them in are we?"

"Huh?"

"Nevermind. Anyway, let's go. You wanna get some training in?" Naruto nodded.

"Of course! Let's hurry!" Jiraiya laughed as Naruto ran down the street, following the boy at a leisurely pace. He truly cherished his time with the boy, and he wouldn't trade anything for it.

XxX

"Ok, that's enough." Naruto collapsed to the ground, while Jiraiya just dusted his hands off. "That was pretty good. You almost got through my guard." Naruto groaned.

"Yea but that knee to the ribcage hurts like hell." Jiraiya shrugged and turned around.

"You'll get used to it. For now, we can rest for-"Jiraiya's head suddenly snapped to the side, and he threw a kunai into the bushes around the training ground. "Who's there?" Two cloaked figured popped out of the bushes, and Jiraiya tensed.

"We have come to take your life Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannin. Any last words?" Jiraiya scoffed and got into his battle stance.

"You think it'll be easy to kill me? I'm so excited to prove you wrong." Jiraiya then disappeared and reappeared in between the two assassins. "Let's begin then shall we?"

"We already have." Jiraiya jumped straight into the air to avoid the third cloaked figure that came charging at him from behind. As he ascended, he flung both of his legs out, kicking both of the other cloaked figures away. They easily recovered however, and they both started going through hand seals.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Missile!"

"Lightning Style: Lightning Dragon Missile!" Two dragons, one of water and one of lightning, formed in the air and charged at Jiraiya, combining themselves into a giant water dragon with crackling lightning armor. Jiraiya could only substitute himself with a nearby rock as a means of escape, marveling at the power of the technique.

"It seems like you are stronger than I anticipated. Then I may have to go all out for this. Naruto, run back inside! It's too dangerous for you out here!" The blonde boy nodded and scurried into the house, leaving Jiraiya and the assassins alone. Jiraiya was surprised that the assassins did nothing to stop Naruto, but it just confirmed that he was really their target. "You should feel honored. I don't usually break this technique out for just anyone, and especially not so early. But I can't let you hurt Naruto. I guess it's just not your lucky day." Jiraiya flew through hand seals, biting his thumb and slamming his palm onto the ground when the sequence was complete.

"Summoning Technique!" There was a poof of smoke, and when the smoke cleared, two small toads were sitting on each of the Sannin's shoulders.

"Jiraiya! What's going on?" Fukasaku, the old Toad Sage, questioned.

"Hello Ma, Pa. It looks like I'll need your help once again."

"Again? You should really master this technique on your own Jiraiya!" Ma scolded.

"I'm a very busy man, I don't have time to train like I used to." Jiraiya sighed. "I really am sorry to bother you, but it looks like I'll need your help for this one." The two toads waved their hands in dismissal.

"We don't mind Jiraiya boy. Were always glad to see you." Shima answered sweetly.

"But you don't look too beat up," Fukasaku continued, "so I'm a little confused as to why you summoned us."

"I'm mostly worried about Naruto. These three claim to be after my life, but who knows what they really want." Jiraiya explained hastily.

"What!?" Both toads shouted in disbelief. "They're here to kill you?" Jiraiya flinched at their bluntness, but then nodded.

"That's what they say."

"Well they're pretty stupid!" Shima screeched. "Who would want to take you on?" Jiraiya shrugged.

"I don't know, but I would like to finish this before it attracts attention." Shima and Fukasaku nodded, and both of them put their palms flat against each other and started channeling Nature Chakra. The change was instantly noticeable; Jiraiya's face had taken on a whole new look. His nose had gotten larger and rounder, warts grew all over his face, and red marks appeared around his eye, signaling his use of the Honored Sage Mode. "God I look like one ugly son of a bitch." In an instant, he appeared next to one of the assassins and kicked him in the side, sending him flying into the woods. "But I can definitely kick your asses."

XxX

Naruto watched from inside the house as his godfather took the first strike. The young boy recognized the Honored Sage Mode immediately, and he couldn't help but smile a bit. From what Jiraiya had explained to him, the Honored Sage Mode would exponentially increase Jiraiya's fighting prowess, which meant the assassins had little chance of surviving the battle. But deep in the pit of his stomach, a cold fear festered and grew with every second that passed.

XxX

Jiraiya's estate was no normal estate. Being both a bestselling author and a seasoned ninja who took S-Rank missions almost exclusively, Jiraiya had plenty of money to spend. But, being the modest man he was, only a small portion of that money went towards the house. No, most of his money went to the training ground in the backyard. The training ground was the exact replica of the training ground Jiraiya had trained at during his Genin days. There was the river which sat right behind the clearing. The clearing was surrounded by thick woods, and the three posts that stood in the center, where Jiraiya had been tied all those years ago. Jiraiya was just relieved that he had so much room to fight; he couldn't imagine the damage this battle would cause to the village.

But luckily, he wasn't in the village, and he was free to use even his most powerful techniques.

"Rasengan Barrage!" The ground where Jiraiya's technique hit exploded and blasted chunks of the Earth in every direction. Two of the assassins, who had been where Jiraiya's technique impacted moments ago, ran towards Jiraiya, and one started speeding through hand signs.

"Fire Style: Eruption!" The ground rumbled, and Jiraiya jumped away in time to avoid the geyser of flame that shot up from the ground. The second assassin then jumped towards the eruption, and finished a sequence of hand seals right before entering the inferno.

"Fire Style: Magma Fists!" The figure burst through the fire, both of his fists encased in solid molten rock like boxing gloves. He charged in and started swinging his fists around like wrecking balls, destroying anything unfortunate enough to be in his path. Jiraiya danced around the giant fists, only barely avoiding each strike.

"Ma! Pa! A little help!" The two toads nodded and started flying through hand seals.

"Wind Style: Jetstream!" Pa shouted.

"Toad Oil Bombs!" Ma shouted a second after. Pa aimed his technique at the ground, shooting Jiraiya into the air, and safely out of the assassins range. Ma then shot two oil bombs, one at each fist, and they exploded spectacularly. Jiraiya fell back to the ground just outside of the cloud of smoke left over from the explosion. He then hastily flew through some hand signs, and erected a Mud Wall to his left, blocking a Water Dragon Missile that had been speeding towards him. When the smoke cleared, the three assassins were standing together in the middle of the clearing, all of them looking as if they hadn't even started fighting, except for the singes on the cloak of the man caught in Shima's attack.

"These three are tough. Ma, Pa, ready?" All three sped through hand seals. "Sage Art: Burning Oil Bath!" All three sucked in a large breath, before each expelled a different substance: Jiraiya spat out oil, Shima breathed out a powerful fire technique, and Fukasaku shot out a powerful gust of wind. The three matters converged, creating a super-hot lava flow, that rushed towards the assassins. One of the assassins created a Water Encampment Wall, but the lava flowed right through it, creating a cloud of thick steam. Jiraiya stood still as his technique slowly melted away, waiting to see if he had killed the assassins.

"Are they dead?" Fukasaku asked hopefully.

"They have to be! No one can survive that attack!" Shima answered enthusiastically. Jiraiya continued to stare into the cloud of steam, and when he saw a faint glowing at the center, he cursed.

"Clearly you're wrong. These guys might be on my level." Jiraiya muttered as he plunged his hand into the ground. He pulled a large, stone sword with a blade as sharp as any steel one from the depths of the earth and swung it around a few times. "It's been awhile since I've used this thing, but it should all come back to me pretty quickly." He lunged forward and slashed at the three offenders, making them jump backwards. A Shadow Clone of Jiraiya came crashing down on the trio from above, barely missing his targets as his stone blade sunk into the ground. Thinking they were safe, one of the assassins started a technique, but suddenly the stone blade shot up from under him, and he only barely managed to keep it from splitting him in half. The sleeve of his dark cloak fell to the ground and his toned right arm was exposed. Jiraiya pulled the sword from the ground and scratched his head.

"Damn, that should have got him." He felt a presence behind him, and he whipped around and brought the blunt side of his sword up to block a stunningly powerful kick. The sword rattled in his hand and Jiraiya almost dropped it, but his grip stayed firm and he used the counter-momentum to send the attacker flying away. The other two assassins flew at Jiraiya, each crouched on the head of a Water Dragon Missile, and at the last second they jumped off and shot bolts of lightning at their attacks, supercharging them they second they collided with the ground. Steam and smoke rose from the point of impact, but Jiraiya was nowhere to be seen.

"Haha take this! Giant Rasengan Barrage!" Two Jiraiyas holding monumental Rasengans attacked in a pincer formation, aiming to completely pulverize the assailants. The third one, with speed that could have possibly matched Minato's, appeared next to his comrades and a second later they were all gone. Jiraiya's attacks struck each other, destroying the Shadow Clone and sending Jiraiya flying away like a rocket. A large crater had formed where the attacks collided, and the three assassins were standing in the middle of it, acting as if the battle had yet to start.

"Enough of this. We have to kill him now or help is going to arrive." The lead assassin ordered in frustration. His two partners nodded and disappeared to engage their target, leaving him to think silently. "It's a shame you have to die Jiraiya, but the fate of the world demands it." He then disappeared as well as a single drop of water hit the ground.

XxX

"ANBU!" Two ANBU, Dog and Weasel, appeared in front of the Hokage's desk.

"Yes Lord Hokage?" Dog asked as he stepped forward.

"Do you feel that?" It was silent for a moment.

"If you mean the large source of chakra southwest of here, then yes." Weasel answered after a few seconds.

"That chakra feels like Jiraiya's…but why would he be using so much. In fact, I'm almost positive he's using the Honored Sage Mode." Sarutobi clenched his fists. "Your orders are to investigate what Jiraiya is doing. If he's in danger…please report back to me."

"You don't want us to lend him our aid sir?" Dog questioned.

"No, I do not. If Jiraiya is in fact using the Honored Sage Mode against his opponent, then I am afraid you are no match for this enemy. You must report back to me. Understood."

"Yes Lord Hokage." Both of the ANBU simultaneously answered. They then disappeared without a sound, off to fulfill their mission.

XxX

Jiraiya groaned as he pushed himself up, shaking the stars out of his vision.

"Ma, Pa, you okay?" The two toads grunted in response, and Jiraiya stood. He cracked his neck, and smirked. "Good, because these fuckers are starting to piss me off." Suddenly, Jiraiya leapt out of the way of a large tunnel of green fire that blasted through the woods. Everything in its path had been completely torched, and Jiraiya's eyes almost bugged out of his head.

"What the hell was that?" He said to himself in awe.

"I've never seen such a technique before." Fukasaku commented, just as awestruck as Jiraiya.

"Goddammit who the hell are these guys?" Jiraiya shouted in anger. "There's nothing I can do! Fire like that will burn right through the stomach of the Great Fire Breathing Toad of Mount Myoboku." Jiraiya's eyes widened as he was again forced to jump out of the way of the powerful technique, this time his clothes getting singed from proximity. "Damn that's fucking hot!"

"Jiraiya, we need a plan!" Fukasaku shouted.

"Alright gimme a sec!" Jiraiya pulled out an oddly shaped kunai from his pouch and stared at it intently. "This is our last shot. I'm running out of chakra. This will definitely take up the rest but…well it's never failed before." Shima and Fukasaku nodded. They of course knew what it was. Jiraiya twirled it around on his finger a few times before gripping it tightly. "Even in death you're still saving my ass...some Sensei I am."

XxX

"Please tell me you just saw that."

"Yea, I saw that."

"Okay, at least I'm not going crazy." Dog and Weasel stood on the top of Jiraiya's estate. From there, they could see the massive stream of fire tear through the woods with alarming ease. Even Weasel, whose clan specialized in Fire Style Techniques, had never seen or heard of a technique so powerful.

"We should report to Lord Hokage." Weasel suggested.

"I agree. Let's go." And faster than they ever had before, Weasel and Dog raced to the Hokage's office, immediately appearing in front of his desk. Luckily no one else had been in the room, but it wouldn't have mattered. This was an emergency.

"Lord Hokage." Dog greeted stoically, as he was expected to.

"Ah Dog, Weasel, you have returned. What news do you bring." The old Hokage asked.

"Lord Jiraiya may be in serious trouble. From what we saw, one of them has a Fire Style Technique with destructive capabilities I could only dream of." The Hokage raised his eyebrow.

"Jiraiya has a technique like this. Describe it for me." Weasel stepped forward.

"The only way to describe it would be a massive stream of green fire. It disintegrated everything it touched." The Hokage's eyes widened.

"That's not Jiraiya's technique! Green fire…what kind of power could generate that? I have to go there now." Dog and Weasel stepped back in surprise.

"Lord Hokage, you will aid Lord Jiraiya?" Dog asked fearfully.

"I must! I'm the only one strong enough too. I may be old but dammit Kakashi I'm still Hokage." Kakashi was shocked at the blatant disregard of protocol from the Hokage, but it wasn't like Itachi didn't know who he was anyway. The Hokage had ripped off his robes, revealing his suit of armor underneath. "I will go aid Jiraiya now. Follow if you must but do not interfere in the fight unless I give the order. Are we clear?" Dog and Weasel both nodded, and the three shinobi disappeared from the Hokage's office.

XxX

"Ma, Pa…there's one last thing." The two elder toads turned to the Sannin.

"What is it Jiraiya?" Shima asked curiously. Jiraiya's solemn tone was a rare one, so of course her curiosity was peeaked.

"If it looks like I'm gonna die...please go back home." The two sages were shocked.

"Don't say things like that!" Shima shrieked. "You're not gonna die here you idiot!" Jiraiya shook his head.

"It doesn't matter. Just promise me you'll do it. One day, you have to train Naruto, whether I'm here or not. Only you can teach him." Jiraiya was very serious, and the elder toads could only agree.

"Fine. Then we just won't let it come to that!" Shima stated boldly, bringing a smile to Jiraiya's face. If these were his last moments alive, he was glad Fukasaku and Shima were here to see them.

XxX

The trio had regrouped not far from the house after their plan to flush Jiraiya out had failed. They figured that getting close to Jiraiya's godson would give him a reason to reveal himself. It had been unusually quiet when suddenly, Jiraiya jumped out of the woods, throwing a kunai with a fake explosive tag in the middle of the assassins. They scattered immediately, Jiraiya going in pursuit of the leader. He charged in at his target and started to take wild slashes with Minato's kunai. The two other assassins then appeared next to the leader, immediately charging in at Jiraiya. Their strikes were quick and perfectly timed, but Jiraiya was able to hold the Taijutsu barrage off rather well. It was only when the leader jumped up from the ground behind him that Jiraiya dropped his guard, turning swiftly to deliver a solid chop to the neck. The leader blocked the blow and jumped in the air, sending Jiraiya skidding away with a spinning kick. Jiraiya slowly stood and brushed himself off, tossing the kunai into the air and catching it with a smirk.

"You three put up a hell of a fight, I'll give you that. I'm impressed, really, but this game is over." Jiraiya waved the kunai in front of his face with a victorious smirk. "No one has lived through an encounter with this technique. You should be honored that it took this much to kill you." Jiraiya then hurled the kunai with as much force as he could straight at the trio of ninja. One of them retaliated with another kunai, intercepting Jiraiya's kunai, both of them clanging uselessly to the ground.

"It seems your technique has fail-"Jiraiya suddenly appeared behind the leader.

"I don't need a kunai to do it." Jiraiya swung his kunai, and the sound of metal cutting flesh pierced the air. Jiraiya's eyes widened. "Wha-"

"I didn't recognize it at first, but that is, if I'm not mistaken, the Fourth Hokage's Flying Thunder God Technique. Impressive. Too bad you aren't the only one with a Time/Space Ninjutsu." Jiraiya coughed as the assassin pulled his blade out of Jiraiya's heart with a squelch. The Toad Sannin fell forward, coughing up copious amounts of blood in the process. The assassin poised his blade for a killing blow, and was about to end Jiraiya's life, when his blade was blocked by a long metal rod. Hiruzen Sarutobi was standing over Jiraiya's body, the Adamantine Nyoi in his hands.

"Get out of my village!"

XxX

Naruto's stomach dropped. The blood…it was…Jiraiya's…blood. Jiraiya was bleeding…dying. He felt despair and anger well up inside of him, when suddenly he was blanketed by a very warm feeling; like someone had just poured a bucket of warm water over his head. Suddenly, red started to bleed down the boy's eyes until they were fully red, and it was all he could see.

"NOOOOOOO!" The back of the house was blown away as the half-inhuman voice stopped everyone in their tracks. Even Jiraiya was startled, and he was barely coherent.

"It finally broke through…" Hiruzen muttered as he examined Naruto with fearful fascination. The three assassins were also awestruck.

"So this is what the Nine-Tails is capable of." The leader whispered in awe.

"It's staring at us." Another stated frantically.

"I wonder why?" The girl asked sarcastically. They had no time to retort however, because Naruto was upon them in an instant, three tails billowing open in their faces. They each barely dodged getting pierced through the skull by the chakra tails, but they couldn't dodge the claw that bashed all three of them into the ground. The second strike from the claw only smashed into the ground as the leader once again used his Time/Space Technique to escape. Another tail sprouted as the boy fell to the ground in agony, his skin burning away from his body. The three assassins took that as their cue to escape as Hiruzen and the two ANBU jumped around Naruto.

"They're getting away Lord Hokage!" Dog shouted.

"We have no choice. Naruto is the higher priority." The Hokage answered back, a mix of emotions present in his tone. They heard a loud groan and they whirled around to see Jiraiya trying to crawl toward them. "Jiraiya!" The Hokage shouted in concern for his student as he bent down to help him.

"Quickly…I can…fix the seal." Jiraiya's voice was raspy and quiet, and Hiruzen was terrified for his student. The Hokage pulled Jiraiya over to Naruto, who was now completely covered by a shell of red chakra shaped like a fox. The Jinchuriki roared as it raged out of control and Hiruzen could do nothing as it lunged at him, claws poised to rip out his heart. He was suddenly shoved to the ground when he felt and tasted blood splashing on his face. Above him, Jiraiya's palm was on Naruto's forehead, while Naruto's now healing arm was plunged through Jiraiya's chest. It took a few seconds for the boy to clear the cobwebs in his head, and when he did he started to cry.

"Uncle Jiraiya…" Jiraiya coughed and started to laugh.

"Hey, don't cry kid. You're gonna be just fine." The white haired main gently pulled Naruto's arm from his chest, wincing in pain as he did so.

"But I hurt you! You're…you're dying!" Naruto wailed in despair.

"This isn't your fault Naruto. I was done for before you did this. I had to stop the Nine-Tails from taking you over. I had promised your father." Jiraiya explained sympathetically.

"But…you're dying. How will I live without you?" Naruto asked as he stared into Jiraiya's eyes.

"I'm sorry Naruto. I'm sorry I'm not gonna get to see you grow up. I'm sorry I'm not going to see you graduate. And I'm really sorry I won't be there when you get your first girlfriend." Jiraiya smiled. "But I know you'll be just fine without me. Just remember, don't ever give up. I know you'll be strong one day." Naruto stared into Jiraiya's eyes and nodded.

"I'll never give up Uncle Jiraiya. Not until the day I die." Naruto promised with all the determination he could muster. He watched through tears as Jiraiya smiled, and then closed his eyes, the life leaving his body forever. Naruto stared at his lifeless body, collapsing over it and going into a fit of sobs. The Hokage and his ANBU silently paid their respects to their fallen comrade as Naruto lamented his loss. Hiruzen had shed a few of his own tears before walking over to the boy and bringing him into the house. He tucked the boy into bed, Naruto having no trouble falling asleep, and went back out to Jiraiya's body. He sealed it in a special storage scroll, so that Jiraiya could have a proper funeral. He definitely deserved one. Hiruzen sighed heavily as he looked up into the night sky. Today was supposed to be a special day for Naruto. But now, it was tainted with the death of his beloved godfather. The weeks that followed were sure to be just as trying, and Hiruzen could only pray that he would be able to help Naruto through whatever he went through.

XxX

**A/N: Well, there it is. So I think this chapter has a lot of emotion in it. You know, what with Jiraiya's death and all. So it was Naruto's first day at The Academy, and he met his first friend. I don't really know what I want to do with Kairi yet. She was kind of a spur of the moment add in. So I'll ask you guys. Do you want to see Kairi as a possible future love interest, or would you rather her become Naruto closest friend? Leave your responses, and I'll go from there. Let's see, what else was there…oh yes the fight. Well, the three assassins actually already have identities, but they won't be revealed until much later in the book. In fact, probably not until the very end. If you would like to try and guess who they are, feel free. They aren't OCs, so it's possible for you to guess right, although I may not tell you if you are right or not. Just remember everything ties together. **

**I really hope I got Jiraiya's dying moment right. In the show, Jiraiya was just reflecting on things in his head. With Naruto there, I was able to make Jiraiya's words, imo, really meaningful, and they will be something that drives Naruto to become the ninja he's destined to be. Anyway, hope it was good. Enjoy. Peace.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Future Hokage

Naruto lifelessly stared at Jiraiya's memorial. Hiruzen stood next to the boy, a hand on his shoulder, silently mourning the loss of his one remaining student. It was ironic really, when the Sannin were children Jiraiya was the worst of the three; now however, Hiruzen could see that he had been the strongest. He was the only one with the Will of Fire.

Naruto openly wept, not bothering to wipe the tears from his face. Naruto had built the memorial himself, insisting that Jiraiya didn't want a 'stupid fucking rock over my head' while he was buried. His body had been cremated by the toads on Mount Myoboku itself, an honor very few have ever received. His ashes had been buried in the woods around the Leaf Village, in a special place Naruto designated. That's where he built the memorial, a small, smooth, round stone, with a burning candle, and a copy of Jiraiya's book _The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja. _

He was going to put one of Jiraiya's porn books, but he figured that wasn't really appropriate.

The funeral itself was small, in fact only three people were there. Once again Naruto insisted that it was what Jiraiya's would have wanted, and so only the people closest to him were there. There were Hiruzen and Naruto, and then there was Jiraiya's wayward teammate Tsunade Senju, who had promised she was only here to pay respects to her former teammate and then get the hell out of the village. So the three stood over the memorial, for hours on end, reminiscing on their times with Jiraiya, throughout the entire day. Halfway through the day it had started to rain, but it had fazed none of the mourners. Late at night, when the rain finally stopped, Naruto looked up at Hiruzen, his voice barely audible.

"Can I go home now?" Hiruzen nodded. He then turned to Tsunade.

"I'm sure there's nothing I can say to get you to stay is there?" Tsunade glared at Hiruzen.

"Are you crazy? This damn village is cursed. And because of it, Jiraiya is dead." Hiruzen flinched. "All because he loved this stupid village."

"Shut up." Naruto mumbled, still staring at the ground.

"What was that?" Tsunade asked, glaring at the boy.

"I said shut up!" Naruto suddenly shouted, his head snapping up, his eyes flashing red for a moment. Tsunade's eyebrow shot up in surprise, instantly recognizing who exactly this boy was. She had never met him before, but now she could easily tell he was Minato's child just by looking at him. "The village meant more to Uncle Jiraiya than his life did! That's why he sacrificed himself!" Naruto's eyes were burning with anger. "Aren't you supposed to be a part of this village too? You're a disgrace!" Tsunade's anger spiked, and Naruto's eyes widened at her crushing Killing Intent. He was a little scared, but he stood firm.

"You watch your mouth brat. You have no idea who you're speaking to."

"I know all about you. I know about Nawaki and Dan." Tsunade's eyes widened. "After Dan died you gave up. You let your self-pity overwhelm you, so you tried to gamble and drink your sorrow away."

"Don't talk about something you know nothing about!" Tsunade furiously shouted.

"I know everything about it!" Naruto screamed back. "What do you think I'm going through right now? But I'm not just going to give up! I'm going to be strong like Uncle Jiraiya, and I'll never give up until I become Hokage!" Tsunade turned pale, as if she had seen blood. "And I'll be the best Hokage the Leaf Village has ever had!" Hiruzen stared down at the boy, who was breathing rather heavily after his tirade. His words had a clear effect on Tsunade, and he was the only person alive who would ever get away with saying that to Tsunade and not ending up splattered across a rock somewhere. Still, Hiruzen was proud of the boy's spirit. Jiraiya was right when he said Naruto was special.

After Tsunade collected herself, she glared at the boy for a few seconds before turning around with a huff, and walking away with her usual swagger. Naruto looked up at Hiruzen, who shook his head, before taking the boy's hand to walk him home.

XxX

"Naruto! Open up!" Kakashi sighed as he banged on the door to Jiraiya's estate. Naruto had pretty much cut off contact with the whole world for a week, besides the Hokage, and Kakashi was worried. Of course, he knew about Jiraiya's death, and he knew Naruto was affected by it the most. But he wanted Naruto to go back to attending The Academy. He had only been there for a day before Jiraiya was killed, and he hadn't been back since. The Hokage personally excused all of his absences of course, but Kakashi still wanted the boy to go back. He had real potential, and he would only get stronger over time by learning and training. Honestly, it was as if his potential was limitless.

Kakashi was surprised when the bolt clicked, and the door opened, revealing a tired looking Naruto. He was wearing his pajamas, with his funny sleeping cap with the eyes, and there were bags under his eyes.

"Hi Kakashi." He mumbled.

"Hello Naruto. Can I come in?" Naruto nodded and turned around, leading Kakashi into the kitchen. On the table was a big steaming bowl of ramen, and Kakashi sighed at the boy's eating habits.

"How have you been Naruto?" Kakashi felt like an idiot for asking, but he really had no idea what to say. Comforting people was not on his extensive list of skills.

"It hurts." Kakashi knew the pain of losing a loved one all too well, and it was heartbreaking to see Naruto go through it.

"I know it does Naruto." Kakashi said with a sigh.

"I miss him."

"A lot of people miss him. I miss him. But he wouldn't have wanted you to feel this way, would he?" Kakashi asked, hoping he could help the boy.

"I know. But I can't help it. What am I supposed to do?"

"You are supposed to never give up." Naruto turned to Kakashi and his eyes widened. "Continues Jiraiya's legacy, and become the powerful ninja he believed you could be. He had more faith in you than anyone else. Prove to him that his faith was rightfully placed." Naruto stared at Kakashi, a smile slowly forming on his face.

"Okay. I'll be the strongest shinobi who ever lived. That's a promise." Kakashi chuckled at the boy's insane promise, and ruffled his hair.

"Well, if you wanna be the strongest, you should probably go back to The Academy." Naruto jumped out of his seat.

"Oh man! I forgot all about The Academy!" Kakashi laughed.

"That's okay. The Hokage personally excused your absences, so you won't be in any trouble. So, you ready to go?"

"Wait one minute!" Naruto dashed upstairs and got changed in a record amount of time, surprising Kakashi when he returned a minute later. "Okay, let's go."

XxX

Kakashi and Naruto approached The Academy, a smile back on Naruto's face. He was excited to get back into The Academy, and maybe he would finally get to show off some of his skills. When they got to the entrance, Kakashi left Naruto with a pat on his head, wished him good luck, and left to fulfill his duties. Naruto was about to walk into The Academy when his collar was grabbed and he was yanked backwards. "Wah!" He flailed his arms in an attempt to regain his balance, but it was in vain, and he fell on his ass. He was a little confused at what had just happened, and when he looked up he saw two big, blue eyes glaring at him.

"Hello Naruto." Kairi stood over him, eyes narrowed. "Where have you been for a week?" Naruto got up and turned around, facing Kairi.

"My Uncle died." Kairi's eyes widened, and her guilt was immediately apparent.

"Oh! I had no idea!" Naruto shook his head.

"It's okay. I'm feeling better." Kairi smiled.

"Good. Now let's go to class." Naruto nodded, and they both made their way through The Academy to their classrooms, taking their seats in the back. There were a few whispers about Naruto's return, but nothing too serious occurred. Iruka walked in a few minutes later, and was very surprised to hear his call of 'Naruto!' was met with a 'here!'. He smiled when he saw his newest student back in the classroom.

"Good to see you're back Naruto." Naruto chuckled and scratched his head in response. When Iruka finally finished role, Naruto was please to find out that the first half of the day today was dedicated to Taijutsu Sparring. He hadn't trained in about a week, but he was confident he could take the kids in this class. He wasn't cocky, but he wasn't a prodigy for nothing. Iruka led the class outside, and around the back, to a small training area with kunai targets, punching posts, and sparring areas. "Okay class, I know you all know how this works, but I must explain this for Naruto's sake." Iruka smiled at the blonde and he smiled back. "The way we spar here is simple. One person stands in the ring, and then I choose someone to spar with them. The winner stays in the ring, and can stay as long as they win every fight. Do you get it?" Naruto nodded. "Good. Would you like to go first then? I would like to see your skills, so I can rank you." Naruto stepped into the middle of the ring, and waited for Iruka to choose his opponent. "Ok let's see…Yoku you go first." A boy with milky blue eyes stepped forward, and Naruto identified him as a Hyuuga. He didn't think it really mattered; this kid probably couldn't use his Bloodline Limit yet anyway. They both stepped forward, and Iruka showed them the proper way to conduct a spar, before ordering them to begin. Faster than any academy student could track, Naruto was behind Yoku, delivering a spinning kick to his head. Yoku went down hard, having no time to react or defend himself. Naruto stood over Yoku calmly, waiting for Iruka to call the spar. Iruka was shocked at Naruto's speed, having no doubt none of the students could have tracked it. He was well above academy level, and he was certain that he wouldn't lose to any of the kids here. "Naruto, can you come here a minute?" Naruto walked over to him.

"Yes Sensei?"

"I don't really know how to say this, but I can't let you spar against these children." Naruto looked at him in confusion.

"Why not?"

"Well, quite frankly I don't want any of them to get injured." Naruto smiled a little bit, before looking annoyed.

"But then who am I going to spar with?" Iruka sighed.

"I think that will be me." Naruto's eyes widened.

"Really? Alright! That'll actually be a challenge!" Iruka smiled, and walked into the circle.

"Okay class, because Naruto is...well to be blunt possibly the strongest one here, I will have a spar with Naruto." His class looked annoyed at his comment, but they really couldn't protest it, so he shrugged. "Naruto, are you ready?" The blonde nodded, and then they begun. Naruto jumped in at Iruka, his fist cocked back, aiming for his face. Iruka ducked under the swing, and aimed a punch at Naruto's exposed stomach. But Naruto had grabbed Iruka's shoulder and spun out of the way, deflecting the punch with his other hand. Naruto's leg came spinning around, and Iruka was only barely able to catch it. Naruto dropped to the ground, and ducked under a haymaker from Iruka, but could not dodge the knee to his gut. He rolled backwards, rolling out of the circle thus declaring Iruka the winner. Naruto sighed as he pushed himself up. The rest of the students looked at Naruto in awe, baffled by Naruto's skill. How an academy student could take on a Chuunin was beyond them, but they knew he was strong. Iruka approached Naruto with admiration in his eyes. "That was impressive Naruto. I don't think it's a question of where you'll be ranked, but I have to assess your other skills first anyway."

XxX

Since Iruka could do nothing to curb his interest in Naruto, he decided to dedicate the rest of the day to figuring out exactly where the boy would be ranked. In all honesty, he already guessed the boy would take the number one spot, but Iruka's fascination with the possible prodigy was too great to pass up a chance to measure the boy. The class was now gathered on the sports field of the Academy.

"Alright class, next is Ninjutsu practice. Kairi, will you come to the front to demonstrate the three Academy Techniques please?" Kairi gave Naruto a smug look before she stood next to Iruka and performed the Transformation Technique, Clone Technique and Substitution Technique flawlessly. Iruka commended her on her success and sent her back with the other students before calling out the next student. "Naruto Namikaze!" Naruto stepped forward.

"Is that all I have to do?" He asked skeptically. Iruka eyed him exasperatedly.

"Those three are the required techniques. If you know any other, you may perform them as well." Naruto grinned at that, and easily blew through the Academy Techniques, surprising the class when he transformed into the Fourth Hokage. Then, Naruto started another string of hand seals with a grin.

"Earth Style: Mud Wall!" A thick wall of dirt and rock rose up between Naruto and the rest of the class, causing the kids to gasp in awe. Naruto collapsed to one knee as the wall stopped growing. "Woah…never got it that big before…" Iruka ran over to the kneeling Naruto and put a hand on his shoulder.

"That was…amazing. How did you learn that?" Naruto looked down.

"My Uncle Jiraiya taught me…but he's gone now." Of course, Iruka had heard of Jiraiya's death. So he was not surprised to hear this. "Hold on, there's one more thing I wanna try." Naruto pushed himself up and Iruka backed away in surprise. Naruto held his hand out and focused as chakra started to build up in his hand. The blue chakra started to swirl around when it exploded, sending Naruto flying a few feet away. Iruka ran over to him, stunned that he would try something so stupid.

"Naruto! Are you okay?" The blonde boy groaned and opened his eyes, giving Iruka a slow nod. Iruka stared at him a second before sighing. "Was that…what I think it was?" Naruto just nodded again.

"Still can't do it…" He muttered in frustration. He pushed himself up and retreated back to the group of students, all whom were staring at him with awe and a little fear. Kairi tugged on his sleeve.

"What was that?" She asked softly. "Are you okay?" Naruto nodded.

"'Yea, I'm fine." He didn't answer her first question, and she didn't ask again. The look on his face had stopped her from trying to speak to him.

"Alright class! Time to go back inside!" The children started to file in reluctantly at Iruka's command, Naruto and Kairi being the last to go in.

XxX

The rest of the day had been less exciting, mostly because of Naruto's solemn mood, but Iruka had been correct when he had predicted that Naruto would take the number one spot. His tactical skills had been superb for a boy his age, and while his academic skills weren't perfect, they were certainly enough to establish his place at the top. The other students were envious of the boy, but there was nothing they could do about it. He was a prodigy; he was just better. So at the end of the day, Naruto had left The Academy with Kakashi, who was extremely proud of the boy for getting the top spot. Naruto told him all about the various skills they assessed, and how he fared in each one. Kakashi agreed to help Naruto with a few of his skills, and Naruto was ecstatic to receive any kind of training from Kakashi. When they got to Jiraiya's estate, Kakashi left Naruto with a wave, departing to do whatever Kakashi does. Naruto walked upstairs, and into Jiraiya's room. Everything was just as he left it. The bed wasn't made at all, clothes littered the floor, as well as books and scrolls. Sadness overtook Naruto as memories of Jiraiya bubbled up in his mind, but he forced them down and told himself he wouldn't cry. He walked through the room, investigating everything in the room. Jiraiya was bound to have something important in here; something that Minato had left to give to his son. Naruto was sure of it. But now that Jiraiya was dead, he had to find it on his own. So he searched through every drawer, crack and door until finally he was at the last room: the closest. Naruto walked in, surprised at how small it was. It was no more than four feet deep, and it was square, and it was virtually empty, except for a box on the ground. Naruto knelt down and opened the box, smiling at what he saw. He pulled out a book labeled, Sealing Jutsu Notes of Minato Namikaze, an oddly shaped kunai with a yellow seal tag on it, four or five scrolls, an odd ninja village headband with a swirl in the middle, and a note.

_Naruto,_

_I don't know how long it took you to find this, but if you found it that means that I'm dead. But don't be sad kid, you'll be alright. I guess I wrote this to tell you all the things I would never have the chance to tell you, because there's so much you should know. I guess I'll talk about all the stuff in the box first. _

_The book was written by your dad, as you might have guessed. That book holds the most extensive, specific and powerful Fuinjutsu techniques you will find in the elemental nations. If you study that book, you'll become a seal master in no time. Don't blow yourself up though, sometimes that'll happen if you screw up._

_The kunai is the weapon that made your father what he was; the key to the Flying Thunder God Technique. One day you'll master that too, and maybe you'll even improve it. I know your dad wanted to, and he would want you to surpass him._

_The headband was your mother's. It was of the Hidden Whirlpool Village, a village that no longer exists. It was destroyed many years ago during the Second Shinobi World War right after your mother came to the Leaf Village. The history of the attack is almost nonexistent, and no one really knows who did it. People have suspected the Hidden Mist for years, but there's never been proof. Your mother was part of Whirlpool's greatest clan, the Uzumaki Clan. They were known for their mastery of Fuinjutsu and their longevity. Kushina once told me that the leader of her village had been over 200 years old! Pretty crazy right?_

_The scrolls are for various techniques. One of them is the Rasengan, in case the only living person who knows it dies. That would be Kakashi. Only try to teach it to yourself if he's gone though kid. You'll hurt yourself if you try alone. Another one is the scroll with all the details of the Flying Thunder God Technique, but you shouldn't touch that until you've read your father's book a few hundred times. The rest are things your father and mother left behind, things that you will need one day. I've never opened them, I could really never bring myself to. They're not for my eyes anyway._

_Now we'll get to what I'm leaving you. All of my money and my house obviously go to you, not that you care about that. I leave the Icha Icha series to you, but you better not screw it up kid. That was my masterpiece. And lastly I guess the Toad Contract. The old man should have the scroll, so just show him this note and he'll give it to you. Whatever you do, just don't summon Gamabunta on your first try. He might get angry._

_Now that I've told you a bunch of good things, it's time I told you something that only the Hokage and myself know. The attack of the Nine-Tails was not a natural disaster, as the textbooks say. It was orchestrated by a single man who attacked your mother and killed her on the night of your birth. He also used a single Sharingan eye to control it and use it as a weapon against the Leaf. Your father fought him that night, but he escaped unharmed. I was never able to figure out who this man was in my life, but maybe you can one day. I just hope you're strong enough the day you do._

_I guess the last thing I want to say is just don't give up. Your father's last request to me was to protect you and give you the life you should have had. I tried, but I guess if you're reading this I failed at that huh? Just know that your father, your mother and I all believe in you, and we know you're stronger than anyone else. _

_Jiraiya_

Naruto stared at the note for a long time, taking in the message. So there was a man with a Sharingan eye behind the Nine-Tails attack. And his dad couldn't defeat him, which meant he was powerful. But that didn't matter, because he would surpass Jiraiya and his father and become the strongest Hokage ever.

"Mom…Dad…Uncle Jiraiya…just watch. I'll make you all proud."

XxX

It wasn't that he didn't trust Kakashi, it's just he was the only guy with a single Sharingan Naruto had ever seen. Which is why he was following him around the Leaf Village as he blindly walked through the crowds and read Jiraiya's book. Finally, because Kakashi had known Naruto was following him the whole time, the Jonin suddenly appeared behind Naruto and grabbed him by his collar.

"What's with the security detail pipsqueak?" Naruto frowned at him.

"How did you find me?" Kakashi laughed.

"It's gonna be a long time before you can get by me. I hope at least." Kakashi chuckled and scratched his head. "So, why are you following me?" Naruto fidgeted and avoided Kakashi's gaze and sighed.

"Were you…were you responsible for the Nine-Tails attack on the Leaf Village?" Kakashi blinked.

"Naruto, are you insane? The attack was a natural disaster." Naruto shook his head.

"Nuh-uh. Uncle Jiraiya left me a note saying that a man with a single Sharingan eye killed my mother and unleashed the Fox on the village." Kakashi's eyes bulged before he looked around quickly, hoping no one heard that, and flickered away to his apartment with Naruto.

"Are you serious?" Naruto nodded. Kakashi rubbed his face and ran his hand through his hair.

"That is…does the Hokage know?" Naruto nodded. "Does anyone else?" Naruto shook his head. "I don't really know what to say. This is incredible. Someone actually controlled the Nine-Tails. Did he get away?" Naruto nodded and stared at Kakashi hopefully.

"So…it wasn't you?" Kakashi laughed and patted Naruto's head.

"No, it wasn't. If it had been, I wouldn't have gotten away. Sensei was always one step ahead of me." Naruto smiled.

"Good. I'm sorry I thought it was you Kakashi." The silver-haired Jonin just shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. I honestly thought I was the only one with a single Sharingan too." Kakashi started to think about the other man with the Sharingan, and he got so wrapped up in his thoughts that Naruto had to shout to get his attention.

"Kakashi!" Kakashi looked down at Naruto.

"Were you saying something?" Naruto frowned.

"Don't pull that Guy crap on me." Kakashi laughed mirthfully at that, and Naruto groaned. "Will you pay attention?" Kakashi quelled his laughter and bent down to Naruto's level.

"Sorry. What's up kid?" Naruto stared at him intensly.

"Will you help me find this man? For my dad?" Kakashi's eye widened, but he smiled and put his hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Of course. We'll find him and make him pay for what he did to Sensei." Naruto nodded with determination, and Kakashi briefly saw Minato's face in the boy. It was gone after a second, but he had no doubt what it meant.

XxX

**A/N: Ok that's chapter 4. Few things I wanna explain.**

**First I wanna go into Jiraiya's death a little more. The few of you that replied said I killed him off to early. Now don't get me wrong, I love Jiraiya. In fact, he's my favorite character in the series, it sucks that hes dead. But, this is one of the defining moments in Naruto's life. And since he's so young, it has a huge impact on him, so I had to kill him. As for the people who killed them, they're stronger than they look. That battle wasn't written nearly as epic as I could have, and I did that because it's the beginning of the story. The battles will get better and better over time, so I didn't want to start you on an epic one and then have to deal with boring ones for awhile. **

**Also, as to Naruto's skill, yea he can deal with a Chuunin. He can't win though. But he's better than any Academy student. Obviously. His skill level is going to be pretty consistent throughout, and I'm going to try and keep him not too overpowered. However, there will be a point when his strength does get a little ridiculous, but that's way later. **

**Next chapter is a time skip, to which point Naruto will be 7, and he will be put in a class with his peers from canon. Things will be very different however. Next one will be up soon. Peace.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Secrets

Naruto awoke suddenly, hearing his alarm clock blaring right next to his ear. He quickly turned it off, preventing himself from breaking yet another alarm clock. Sometimes, when Naruto woke up, he would chuck the alarm clock against the wall out of anger for waking him up. And he had gone through many alarm clocks that way, so he really didn't feel like buying another.

Naruto sat up and groaned, realizing what day it was. It was the first day of his fourth year in The Academy today, and he wasn't all that excited. He had wanted to graduate early, knowing that Kakashi had done that at his age, but Hiruzen denied him, stating that Kakashi had been in The Academy during the war, and that it was different. Naruto didn't understand, but he figured that the Hokage was right anyway. So now he had to deal with a bunch of kids who had no idea what they were doing. When Hiruzen told him he would be placed in a class with kids his age, he nearly yelled at the Hokage. It was ridiculous to put someone of his caliber into a class full of first year kids. Well, except for one other kid.

Sasuke Uchiha had entered The Academy just one year after Naruto, and immediately they had become rivals. Sasuke was always challenging Naruto to test his strength, and both boys were pretty evenly matched. Although most of the time, Naruto was the winner of their spars. Since they were the same age, and close to the same skill level, they had constantly been paired together during drills and lessons at The Academy, and because of that they had formed a bond of begrudging friendship. Sasuke had a tiny bit of admiration for the boy, just for his work ethic alone, and a healthy respect of the boy's strength, which he had learned through experience. Naruto on the other hand genuinely liked Sasuke, and considered him to be his best friend. They trained together weekly, and both were getting stronger and helping the other every day.

But other than Sasuke, Naruto was sure there was no one in this class that would be of interest to him. He just hoped his training outside would continue to get more intense.

Kakashi had taken Naruto under his wing after Jiraiya died, taking over the duty of training the son of the Fourth Hokage. He felt he was obligated to, after all, the Fourth was his Sensei. So, for the past four years, Kakashi had been training Naruto, watching him turn into the ninja he was meant to be. At seven years old, he was already Chuunin level, in every aspect of his skills. His ability to learn techniques so easily, due to the Shadow Clone Technique, was amazing, breaking the boundaries of time. Kakashi had immediately taught Naruto the Shadow Clone Technique, in fact it was the first thing he taught him.

_~Flashback~_

"_A new Technique? Really? Awesome!" Naruto shouted in excitement. If Kakashi was going to teach him a new Technique right off the bat, then he would probably be an awesome Sensei._

"_Yes, it's a technique that I believe you will be able to master. It's called the Shadow Clone Technique." Naruto blinked._

"_Is it a clone of my shadow?" Kakashi almost burst out laughing, but even his mask couldn't hide his smile._

"_No Naruto, it isn't. It's a very useful technique. Just watch." Kakashi made the single hand seal and Naruto was shocked to see an identical Kakashi, with a shadow, standing right next to the original._

"_Woah! Is that solid?" Both Kakashi's nodded. "Awesome! Can I try?" One Kakashi stepped forward._

"_Yes, but let me explain what to do first. Did you see the hand sign I made?" Naruto nodded. "Good. That's the only one. Now, when you mold your chakra for this technique, I want you to put in a good amount, about half, of your reserves. Can you do that?" Naruto nodded again. "Alright. If I'm correct, you should get around 200 or so clones. Try it out." Naruto brought his hands into the single seal and his face scrunched up in concentration._

"_Shadow Clone Technique!" There was a massive plume of smoke that appeared around the entire area. Kakashi's eyes widened, his Sharingan already seeing the number of clones there were._

'600…that's incredible. This kid could be his own army.'_ When the smoke cleared, Naruto was grinning._

"_DO YOU SEE ALL OF THESE CLONES!"_

_~Flashback End~_

The other reason he taught Naruto the technique was because he knew that in theory, if one could produce a massive amount of Shadow Clones, then the time of training could be exponentially cut down. What would take a normal man weeks could take him hours, months could take him days, and years could take him weeks! It was truly incredible, and Kakashi even believed it to be better than his Sharingan.

There was one other thing that took up the rest of Naruto's time. Ever since he had found his father's notes on Fuinjutsu, he became engrossed in it, and even obsessed with it. He wasn't smart enough to comprehend much of the complicated stuff, but the most basic things he understood, and he had even started practicing on his own. While he knew it was extremely dangerous to do so, the boy didn't know of anyone else who was up to the caliber of Jiraiya or his father had been in Fuinjutsu. When he had asked Kakashi about it, the Jonin had admitted while he had some knowledge, it was not nearly as much as his Sensei's. He still agreed to help Naruto with anything Fuinjutsu related, for the sake of his safety more than anything else.

The rest of the day would be boring, unless he could convince Sasuke to cut class, which he had only succeeded in doing once. Naruto sighed as he pulled his shirt on over his head. This year was gonna be boring.

XxX

"We're not cutting the first day Naruto." Naruto's expression fell and his shoulders drooped.

"Why not? It's not like we're missing anything important."

"The first day is one of the most important!" Naruto sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Fine Sasuke, we'll go to class. But I guarantee half way through the day you'll wonder why you even went." Sasuke shrugged.

"Whatever." Naruto frowned and stopped in his tracks, earning a confused look from the Uchiha. "What are you doing?"

"Is that the head of the Hyuuga Clan over there?" Sasuke looked to where Naruto was now pointing, and sure enough Hiashi Hyuuga was walking down the road, holding the hand of his daughter.

"It looks like it is. Does that mean there's another clan heir in our class?" Naruto nodded.

"I guess it does. And a Hyuuga heir too. Looks like you have some competition." Sasuke scoffed.

"As if. The Uchiha are superior to the Hyuuga in every way." Naruto stared at Sasuke for a moment before raucous laughter erupted from his mouth. "What are you laughing at?" Naruto slowly calmed himself down, still chuckling a bit and wiping a tear from his eye.

"Dude you sounded JUST like your dad!" Sasuke's eyes widened, before a small smile formed and a chuckle escaped his mouth.

"I did didn't I?" Naruto smiled.

"All you need is the permanent scowl and the angry disposition and you're there." Sasuke scowled, and Naruto started laughing, pointing at his face. "There it is!" Sasuke grunted and turned away, leaving Naruto behind. Naruto caught up quickly, and together the two friends made their way to The Academy.

XxX

"My name is Iruka, and first I would just like to welcome you all to The Academy!" Iruka looked over his class with a wide smile on his face. It was going to be an interesting class this year. When he had first seen the role sheet, he almost spat out his coffee at the number of clan heirs that were in the class. Seven was an absurd amount of clan heirs, and the clans they hailed from were some of the strongest in the Leaf Village. The Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, Aburame, Inuzuka, Hyuuga and Uchiha all had heirs in this class, and Iruka would be damned if this class didn't produce some of the finest ninja of their generation. Plus Naruto, the son of a former Hokage, this class was completely stacked. Of course, Iruka already knew Naruto and Sasuke from their previous years in The Academy, having been their teacher in the previous years as well. When Naruto had joined his class four years ago, and Sasuke three, Iruka grew prouder and prouder of the two boys each day as their skills soared to levels unprecedented for kids their age. At seven, both were easily Chuunin level, and both could now beat him in a spar. Naruto still claimed the number one spot, while Sasuke nipped at his heels in the second spot. When Iruka heard that instead of graduating the two boys would be put in a class of their peers to get better acquainted with them, he had been ecstatic. They were two of his favorite students, although he could never admit that out loud, and teaching them again was sure to be interesting. And maybe it would inspire these kids with great potential to become the best ninja they could be. "For the next five years…"

Naruto and Sasuke sighed as Iruka went into his beginning of the year speech. They had heard many variants of it over the years, and so they had no need to pay attention to it. Naruto looked to his left at the other boy who sat at the table. He had spiky, black hair that was tied into a ponytail that stuck up in the air, but the boy's face could not be seen, for it was currently planted on the table. Naruto cracked a smile and poked the boy in his side.

"Huh?" The boy's head popped up, and he lazily glanced over at Naruto, who was beaming at him.

"Sleeping on the first day? That doesn't seem like something a ninja would do." The boy was about to retort, when Sasuke did it for him.

"You slept on the first day for the past two years, if I'm not mistaken." Naruto frowned and turned to Sasuke.

"Why would you say that? Now I look bad!" Sasuke shrugged, and the black haired boy started to laugh. Naruto turned back around. "What's so funny?" The boy raised an eyebrow and casually shrugged.

"You said it yourself. It doesn't seem like something a ninja would do." Sasuke chuckled from behind Naruto, and the blond frowned.

"Whatever." The frown was replaced with a smile. "Well I'm Naruto, and I'm gonna be the best Hokage there ever was!" The boy blinked at Naruto's declaration.

"Are you Naruto Namikaze?" Naruto nodded. "I see. So then that means you're the Hokage's son." Another nod. "Troublesome."

"Why is that troublesome?" Naruto asked.

"Of all the people I could have sat next to, I had to sit next to the strongest academy student in years. I'd call that troublesome." Naruto cocked his head.

"You know who I am?" The boy nodded.

"Everyone knows who you are. My father told me all about you too. You started The Academy at age four, and the only reason you haven't graduated is because the Leaf Village is at peace right now." Naruto seemed a little shocked that his name was so famous. "And if you're Naruto, then you must be Sasuke Uchiha." Sasuke nodded at this.-

"I am. Although I'm impressed you understand why Naruto and I haven't graduated. Not many academy students have knowledge of how a ninja village really works." The boy shrugged.

"My dad is always telling me things, saying I need to learn about the village to be a good ninja and clan head one day. It's more troublesome than anything else if you ask me." Naruto nodded at this.

"I know what you mean. My Uncle Jiraiya was always telling me stuff like that. I didn't care about it before, but now I guess I kinda see why it's important." The boy shrugged.

"In a way it is. But I don't have to worry about that right now." Sasuke nodded.

"I don't believe I caught your name."

"Shikamaru Nara."

"Oh, so you're the heir of the Nara Clan?" Shikamaru nodded.

"Troublesome as it is, I am."

"Naruto! Sasuke! Shikamaru! Be quiet back there!" The three boys jumped at Iruka's sudden shout, and they immediately turned forward. Naruto and Sasuke knew Iruka was not one to be messed with, and when he brought his wrath down upon you, it was not pleasant. So they quieted down for now, deciding to save their conversation for lunch.

XxX

Eventually, the day ended, and Naruto was excited to leave the dreadful prison. When Iruka dismissed them, Naruto sprinted out of the classroom, with Sasuke close behind. They were both itching to train, especially after that long day in The Academy. They arrived at Jiraiya's estate, immediately heading for the training ground. As usual, they started with some light warm ups, before they got ready to spar.

"So what's the score now anyway?" Naruto asked as they got into their stances.

"29-30." Sasuke mumbled,

"Well then get ready to fall even farther behind!" Naruto shouted with a grin.

"I'll make you eat those words!" Sasuke charged in at Naruto, pulling out two kunai as he did. Naruto took his own kunai out just in time to block Sasuke's first strike, and he quickly ducked under his follow-up slash. Sasuke swung his leg at Naruto, who blocked with his arm. Naruto then grabbed Sasuke's leg and threw him high into the air. Flipping in midair, Sasuke landed gracefully and rushed back at Naruto, attacking him with a flurry or slashes and strikes. The blond was pushed onto the defensive, blocking any strike with his kunai, and weaving through any he could not. Sasuke pressed with aggressiveness and speed, finally forcing an opening and kicking Naruto away. The blond tumbled through the grass and rolled into a tree. Naruto rose with a groan, and Sasuke ran at him. Sasuke threw both his kunai, and Naruto yelped before barely substituting with a log, saving him from pain. He dropped down behind Sasuke, forming two Shadow Clones as he landed. The three Narutos charged at Sasuke, who jumped straight into the air. He threw three kunai at each Naruto, but only one made contact. The other two jumped after Sasuke, launching kicks and punches at the Uchiha. Sasuke couldn't keep up with both Narutos, so he closed his eyes and focused his chakra for second. In a moment, his Sharingan activated, and Naruto's attacks were clear to him. Sasuke easily adjusted, and soon his pace matched both Narutos. Sasuke weaved through Naruto's attacks expertly, and kicked the last clone, dispelling it instantly. Naruto jumped away, not wanting to go up against a Sharingan in hand to hand combat. Seeing Naruto's retreat, Sasuke flashed through hand seals.

"Fire Style: Grand Fireball Technique!" A large swirling ball of fire flew towards Naruto, who finished a sequence of hand signs as the fire ball closed in.

"Earth Style: Mud Wall!" Using a technique taught to him by his dead godfather, Naruto saved himself with a wall of mud that shot up from the ground. Sasuke leapt over the wall, hurling a handful of shuriken at the blond. Naruto jumped away, only to find Sasuke in front of him, kunai poised to stab. Naruto ducked under the thrust, and pulled Sasuke forward by his outstretched arm. He then jumped into the air and planted both of his feet on Sasuke's chest, sending him flying with a dropkick. When the Uchiha collapsed, Naruto was crouching over him, a kunai inches away from his forehead. Sasuke groaned in resignation, and Naruto broke into a wide smile.

"Now it's 31-29!" Sasuke glared at his friend, until a hand was thrust in his face, and he took it with a smirk. Naruto pulled the Uchiha to his feet, and both of them decided to call it a day. Since Naruto had won, he convinced Sasuke that he deserved a free bowl of ramen. Sasuke hesitantly agreed, knowing one bowl could easily turn into five or six. With a reluctant sigh from Sasuke, and a cheerful yelp from Naruto, the two geniuses departed the training grounds and made their way to the village. Along the way to Ichiraku's, Naruto noticed a lone boy in the middle of the park, lying on his back and gazing at the sky.

"Hey Sasuke, is that Shikamaru?" Sasuke looked at where Naruto's finger pointed, and nodded.

"Yea, it's him." Naruto started walking towards the boy.

"Hey! Shikamaru!" Shikamaru lazily raised his head, sighing to himself as Naruto approached.

"I knew you were going to be troublesome."

"What was that?"

"Nothing." Sasuke walked up behind Naruto, greeting Shikamaru with a nod.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked, taking a seat next to the Nara boy.

"Staring at the clouds." Shikamaru simply stated, so Naruto shrugged and laid down next to the boy. "What are you doing?" Shikamaru asked.

"Staring at the clouds." Shikamaru sighed, realizing he couldn't get rid of the blond boy, and went back to cloud gazing. Sasuke shook his head, but laid down anyway, preferring to relax rather than empty his wallet on ramen. The three boys laid there for awhile, occasionally commenting on the shape of a cloud. Time passed and soon dusk set in. The sky glowed yellow and orange, and Shikamaru finally sat up.

"It's getting late…" Naruto and Sasuke sat up as well, nodding at Shikamaru's statement.

"That was really relaxing!" Naruto exclaimed as he jumped up and stretched his arms. "Do you do that every day?"

"Yea. I like watching the clouds. They're so free and lazy, floating through the sky like that. Sometimes I wish I could just float through the sky aimlessly; it would be much less troublesome than being a ninja." Naruto cocked his head.

"You're really lazy aren't you?" Shikamaru smiled at Naruto before walking away and waving over his shoulder. The two boys watched him lazily mosey down the road, until they couldn't see him anymore.

"He's a little weird." Sasuke stated casually.

"Yea, but so are we. And I like him." Naruto turned to Sasuke.

"Yea, he's alright." Sasuke let out a sigh. "I should be getting home." Naruto nodded, and Sasuke turned around and started walking away. Naruto decided he would stay in the park a little longer, so he laid back down on the ground and fixed his gaze on the sky.

XxX

"With all due respect Lord Hokage, what you ask of me is insane!" Hiruzen sighed as he took a puff of his pipe. Normally, an ANBU operative would never question an order from the Hokage, and if one did he would be immediately removed from the organization. But the Third understood the ridiculousness of his request, and the ANBU's reaction was well justified.

"I'm aware my request is highly sensitive and quite frankly brutal."

"Then I-" the ANBU paused, and Hiruzen waved his hand.

"You may speak freely Itachi." The ANBU removed his mask, and the stoic face of Itachi stared back at the Hokage.

"Sir, you are asking me to kill my entire clan. How could one live with themselves?" Hiruzen shook his head.

"It is a heinous crime I know. But my advisors are vehemently pushing this solution. The Uchiha have become restless of late, and I fear the gears of war are cranking. A civil war is the worst possible outcome of this problem, and it must be avoided. I do not wish to see one of our most prominent clan's demise, and I am open to any suggestions that you may have, but the truth is this rebellion must be quashed before it starts. You have been a very valuable mole, and not using the information you have brought me to organize a preemptive strike would be a waste." Itachi looked down at the ground and Hiruzen sighed. "I am just as opposed to this plan as you are Itachi. But as Hokage I must make unpopular decisions for the good of the village.

"And so you think massacring the Uchiha is for the good of the village?" Itachi asked suddenly, snapping his head up.

"Of course not. The Uchiha Clan is a clan feared around the Elemental Nations, and their strength is a pillar of support for the village. But do you think a civil war is better? Not only Uchiha, but countless Leaf ninja would lose their lives if conflict broke out." Itachi clenched his fists.

"That doesn't justify it." Hiruzen looked at Itachi sadly.

"It never will. But as Hokage I will shoulder the burden for the sake of the village." A hopeless look made its way to Itachi's face, and Hiruzen noted this was the most emotion he had ever seen out of Itachi. "I will give you two weeks to find a solution on your side, while I try to find a solution on mine. I will stall my advisors for as long as I can, but they are persistent. In two week I will call you in for a meeting where the mission will be formally assigned to you." Itachi nodded.

"Thank you Lord Hokage."

"Please understand Itachi, I truly wish to see the end of this conflict without bloodshed. Death is a plague that I have fought with all my strength ever since I took this seat, but death is insatiable. It always wins. I will do everything in my power to see that it does not win this time." Hiruzen stood up and turned his back to Itachi and gazed out the window. "I am getting old Itachi. I've watched over this village longer than any Hokage before me, and even longer than my successor. I have seen conflict on a greater scale than you can imagine, and yet when it comes to the village, I feel as if I am a small child. I love each and every member of this village, but even my love and determination cannot protect them all." Hiruzen turned to Itachi with a sorrowful expression on his face.

"In the end we're ninja, tools of war and destruction, and our profession comes with the darkest secrets and the bloodiest jobs. Even the greatest ninja can fall into the abyss of insanity if they think too much. Keep your mind at ease Itachi, and do not let your Will of Fire burn out, because yours shines brighter than anyone I know." Itachi took a deep breath.

"Thank you Lord Hokage. Truly." Hiruzen smiled at the young ANBU captain.

"Do not hesitate to come to me with your concerns Itachi. We strive for the same outcome, and I will help any way I can." Itachi nodded. "You are dismissed, Weasel." Itachi put his mask on, and in a second his presence was erased from the room. Hiruzen collapsed in his chair and groaned. He would need more than tobacco to recover from that.

XxX

**A/N: There's chapter 5. Took a little while, but I have 6, 7 and part of 8 written out, so they might all be up today. And maybe more, who knows I feel like writing today. So I like this chapter a lot. Shikamaru, Naruto and Sasuke are now friends, and that's the magic number, so there you go. And then there was that part at the end about the Uchiha Massacre, which I won't be delving into too much. Next chapter will conclude that part, and then there's a time skip after that. Not a large one, but I'm just trying to get this rolling. I've been planning out exactly how everything is going to fall into place, so this should get on the ball pretty quickly. Anyway, till next chapter. Peace.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Fate of the Uchiha

Sasuke frowned as Itachi walked out the door. Once again, he had rebuffed Sasuke's request to train. But something about him seemed off to Sasuke. Itachi was certainly a master of his emotions, but Sasuke was his brother, and he could always tell when something was bothering his brother. Itachi had barely been home in the past two weeks, and when he was he cut off all communication with his mother and father. The reason for his recent absence was ANBU business as Itachi stated, and while that was a valid excuse, Sasuke couldn't help but think something else was affecting his behavior. No, he knew something else was behind it, but he couldn't figure out what it was. All Sasuke could tell was that there was a certain sense of urgency to Itachi.

Itachi wasn't the only one acting oddly. Fugaku, Sasuke's father, had also been acting strangely lately. He skipped the family dinners almost daily now, and there was always a look of contemplation of his face. Members of the Uchiha Police Force dropped by frequently, as well as a few of the clan elders, and would be locked in Fugaku's office for hours at a time. While they could just be discussing clan affairs, with Itachi's recent behavior, Sasuke couldn't help but think there was a connection. And he'd be damned if he didn't figure it out.

Seeing as The Academy had off today, Sasuke decided to find Naruto and tell him about his brother and father's odd behavior. The blond would definitely be interested in finding out what was going on, and Sasuke was counting on that. After exiting the Uchiha District and walking through the village, Sasuke arrived at Jiraiya's estate. He pounded on the door and waited for a few minutes until the door opened slowly. Naruto was standing in the doorway, rubbing his eye and dressed in his pajamas.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto murmured sleepily. "It's eight o'clock."

"I know what time it is. Get dressed, we have things to do." Naruto sighed and shut the door. Five minutes later he came back out, fully dressed and slightly less sleepy.

"What are we doing?" Naruto asked as they walked away from the house.

"Itachi and father have been acting strangely lately, and I wanna figure out what's going on." A devilish grin spread across Naruto's face.

"So you want to spy on them?" Sasuke nodded. "This is going to be fun." Sasuke sighed.

"It's not going to be easy you know." Naruto shrugged.

"I've hidden from ANBU before, it isn't that hard. And even Itachi can't see through my Invisibility Technique."

"We still have to be careful." Naruto nodded, and the two boys headed for the Uchiha District.

XxX

"Father…" While his expression was stoic, on the inside Itachi felt like nothing more than a small child. He was far too young to be dealing with this, and yet this was what the cost of being a great ninja was. They called it a blessing. It disgusted Itachi.

"Every night for the past two weeks you have tried to convince me to stop our revolution in every way you can." Fugaku's stare was ice cold, and it bared the weight of a whale. "Don't tell me you're nervous." If the head of the Uchiha clan ever showed emotion, he would have sneered then.

"The Hokage does not need to die. Neither do our clansmen. He is old, he won't occupy the position for much longer. With my pedigree…I could become the next Hokage. Then the Uchiha would have an equal say." Fugaku scoffed.

"Don't get cocky son. You're light years away from Hokage level."

"Then why am I the one who's putting the knife to his neck?" Fugaku could not think of an immediate answer, so there was a pregnant pause before he retorted.

"You are foolish if you think the council would allow an Uchiha Hokage. This argument is over. Either you are with us, or you should make yourself disappear." Itachi stood in stiff shock and his father left him with that. He had never said anything like that before.

For the first time, Itachi felt a tear slide down his cheek.

XxX

Naruto and Sasuke stood stone still against a wall. In front of them, a meeting between Fugaku and a few of the Uchiha Elders, as well as some members of the police force, was taking place. Fugaku led the meeting, and currently they were debating something that had literally shocked Naruto and Sasuke to their cores. When they first decided to intrude on the meeting, they had followed the clan members into the room, slipping in under the guise of Naruto's Invisibility Technique. Everything had gone along smoothly, until the purpose of the meeting was brought up. When Fugaku brought up a plan of a rebellion against the Hokage, the two boys had almost yelled in shock, only keeping quiet because of their current situation. And now with every word uttered by the Uchiha in the room, Sasuke felt his respect for his clan plummet. As they watched, the meeting continued, its members completely unaware of the intruders.

"Itachi's reports have been scarce of late Fugaku." One of the elders stated. "We are in the final stages of our plan. We need all the intel we can get."

"Itachi has been extremely busy as of late. Since his recent promotion, his mission load has increased, and he barely has time to relay large pieces of information. Do not worry about it much; we will have all of the information we need." A few of the elders nodded, but one cleared his throat.

"If it is as you say Fugaku, then everything should pan out perfectly. But…" the elder narrowed his eyes, "what if it is not?" Fugaku's eyes narrowed as well.

"What are you implying?"

"I'm not implying anything. But I am questioning whether or not Itachi is the right man for the job."

"You speak out of line." Fugaku stated with barely masked venom.

"Do I? I have nothing against your son Fugaku, but this is a very delicate operation. There can be no errors."

"I assure you my son's skill is more than enough to complete this mission. There are few Jonin in this village that can match my son's skill."

"It is not his skill that I am calling into question." The elder stated cryptically. Fugaku looked at him in confusion, before anger flashed across his face.

"You dare call my son a traitor?" Fugaku shifted to stand, but one of the elders grabbed his arm.

"Peace Fugaku!" Fugaku glared at the man restraining him, before shifting to glare at the other elder. "Explain yourself Katsuro."

"The ANBU are loyal to the Hokage first. Who's to say he isn't a double agent." Fugaku was now physically restraining himself.

"My son is-"

"You keep defending him Fugaku, but do you not wonder the same? You said he was busy with ANBU work, so who's to say he isn't meeting with the Hokage right now. What if his recent 'work' has been his betrayal."

"Enough! I will not let you insult my family in my house! My son is loyal to the Uchiha and only the Uchiha!" Killing Intent was leaking out of Fugaku now, and the elders eyed him with a hint of fear.

"Easy Fugaku. Just relax." Fugaku looked at the elder who was trying to calm him down. He took a deep breath and let out a harsh sigh.

"Itachi will not fail his mission. When the time comes, he will assassinate the Hokage without question and without fail. There is nothing to discuss about it." The elders stood up.

"Well then, this meeting is over. By your leave Fugaku?" Fugaku nodded and the elders filed out of the room, closing the door behind them. Sasuke disconnected himself from Naruto and stepped forward, glaring into the surprised eyes of his father. Naruto, who was baffled by Sasuke's course of action, just sighed and cancelled his technique.

"Sasuke, what are you-"

"Traitor." Sasuke said angrily, cutting his father off. "How could you betray the village?"

"There are many things that you do not understand-"

"So what! What right does that give you to betray the village? Let alone assassinate the Hokage!" Sasuke's Sharingan had activated in his rage, and Fugaku activated his own.

"Enough Sasuke. You are too young to understand."

"But Itachi isn't? Why would you bring him into this? What do you hope to accomplish?" Fugaku stared down at his son, his stoic face giving nothing away.

"Sasuke, I will not tell you again. This does not concern you. Now please leave me." Sasuke clenched his fists and gnashed his teeth.

"You are not my father." With that he exited the room, Naruto scrambling behind him. Fugaku was taken aback by Sasuke's declaration, and a wave of guilt washed over him.

"Itachi…"

XxX

Naruto followed Sasuke as they walked through the streets of the village. He wasn't really sure what to do; Sasuke was clearly rattled by what has just taken place. When Naruto had been told they were spying on Fugaku, he was expecting something less dramatic than a coup d'état.

"Where are we going?" Naruto finally asked.

"To find Itachi." Sasuke replied flatly. Naruto shrugged and continued to follow Sasuke, until they reached the Hokage's office. The Hokage was smoking his pipe when they barged into his office, and he raised an eyebrow at them.

"Naruto, Sasuke, what a pleasure. Please come in." The last part was unnecessary, seeing as they were already in.

"Where is Itachi?" The Hokage was surprised at Sasuke's forwardness; usually Naruto did the talking.

"I cannot disclose the location of-"Sasuke sighed and looked at Naruto, who stepped forward.

"Uh gramps? This is kinda important. We really need to find Itachi. Can you please make an exception just this once?" Hiruzen stared quizzically at the boys, before making a gesture with his hand. Itachi silently appeared behind the boys.

"What is it little brother?" Sasuke turned around and glared at Itachi.

"So you're a traitor too?" Hiruzen seemed taken aback by this declaration.

"What nonsense is this?" Itachi asked.

"I spied on one of father's meetings." Hiruzen's eyes went wide, and Itachi's did the same behind his mask. Immediately, the Hokage activated his privacy seals. "How could you Itachi?" Itachi tore his mask off.

"What did you hear?"

"Everything! I heard that the Uchiha plan to rebel against the Hokage and start a civil war! And I heard you're supposed to assassinate the Hokage!" Itachi looked over at the Hokage, who had a stressed look on his face. "You're a trai-"

"Silence Sasuke." Itachi interrupted.

"Itachi is no traitor Sasuke." The younger Uchiha turned to the Hokage. "I have known of this development for quite some time now, thanks to your brother." Sasuke turned back to Itachi, who nodded.

"So you really are double agent then?" Itachi cocked his head.

"Did you hear that in the meeting?" Sasuke nodded.

"That poses a problem." The Hokage stated. "If they are suspicious of you, then things could get ugly. Be careful Itachi." Itachi nodded.

"What do we do about them?"

"Well I'd like to thank them for telling us about this first of all. I'd also like you two to understand that this is an SS class secret. You cannot tell anyone about this." The two boys nodded.

"What are you going to do?" Sasuke asked.

"That's none of your concern Sasuke." Itachi answered quickly.

"How can you say that! It's my clan too!"

"You are too young for things of this nature."

"Stop treating me like a kid! I brought you important information didn't I? I have a right to know!" Itachi stared at Sasuke.

"Fine, you want to know what's going to happen?" Itachi looked over at the Hokage, who leaned forward.

"Sasuke, your brother and I have been working tirelessly for weeks to find a way to end this conflict without bloodshed." Sasuke's eyes widened.

"Is that why you've been so busy brother?" Itachi nodded.

"Your brother has been trying to convince your father that a coup is not the way to solve this. Unfortunately he has not been successful."

"So what now?" Sasuke asked.

"Tonight I will undertake a mission that will put an end to this conflict before it begins."

"And what is that?"

"Putting an end to the Uchiha Clan." Naruto and Sasuke's faces broke out in astonishment.

"What!" They both exclaimed.

"Unfortunately that is what it has come to." Hiruzen stated. "We cannot risk a civil war, not when we have finally achieved our status quo once again. "

"That's…" Sasuke looked at the Hokage and Itachi, then at the ground. "I understand." Hiruzen and Itachi were now visibly shocked.

"You understand?" Itachi asked.

"Yes. Our clan is a clan of traitors. And traitors must be punished." Hiruzen nodded.

"Yes that is what we decided."

"But how are you going to do it?" Sasuke asked.

"I will go through the clan compound under the cover of night and assassinate them all. Then I will leave the village as a missing ninja."

"Missing ninja? But you can't leave!"

"I must Sasuke. I cannot come back to the village after murdering our entire clan." Sasuke looked at Itachi with fear and sadness in his eyes.

"But…I'll be all alone. What am I going to do?"

"Just be strong little brother. Maybe one day we will meet again." Sasuke lunged at his big brother and wrapped his arms around him.

"I'll miss you big brother." Itachi let a rare smile spread across his face.

"I'll miss you too Sasuke. But for now, I must prepare for tonight. Stay at Naruto's tonight. I do not want you to witness anything." Sasuke nodded, and after he stepped back, Itachi disappeared. Both boys looked at the Hokage, who smiled.

"Well that was quite tiring. Who's up for some ramen?" Naruto exclaimed his approval, while Sasuke smiled and nodded. Hiruzen led the boys out of his office, only wondering how two seven year olds could have spied on the Uchiha Clan head.

XxX

News of the Uchiha Massacre spread through the village like wildfire. Everyone was talking about how the Uchiha prodigy Itachi had gone insane and murdered his entire clan in cold blood. Sasuke was furious that his brother was being slandered, but the Hokage had sworn him and Naruto to secrecy, so there was nothing he could do.

"Relax Sasuke, they don't know the truth." Sasuke looked at Naruto, who was walking with his hands behind his head. They were on their way to The Academy, and Sasuke knew the worst was yet to come. When they finally arrived, mostly everyone was staring at Sasuke, whispering something into someone's ear. Only one person wasn't, and that's because his face was planted on the table.

"Hey! Shikamaru! Wake Up!" Naruto poked the Nara in his head, and he lazily glared at Naruto.

"Every day you insist on waking me up. Why is that?" Naruto smiled.

"Because if you slept then you wouldn't get to talk to us."

"Troublesome." Naruto frowned. "So, Sasuke, how are you." Sasuke shrugged.

"Alright. Why do you ask?"

"You know why I asked. But alright isn't the answer I was expecting." Sasuke shook his head.

"You wouldn't understand. I don't want to talk about it." Shikamaru shrugged.

"Fine by me. I was just being friendly." Naruto smiled at this.

"See, we are friends!" Shikamaru sighed and put his head back down. "Hey, don't ignore your friends!"

"Friends let friends sleep." Was the muffled reply that came from Shikamaru. Naruto huffed and crossed his arms.

"Whatever." Sasuke watched the exchange with a smirk. Naruto was right. They were friends, and Sasuke knew he would need them to get through this ordeal. Hell, their bickering alone was entertaining enough to put a smile on his face for years. But most importantly, it was a semblance of normalcy, and that was all he needed.

"Shikamaru, you should train with us today." Shikamaru's head shot up at Sasuke's suggestion.

"You want me to train with you?" Sasuke nodded. "There's no way I can keep up with you."

"We'll take it easy on you. And while you're not as strong as us, you're definitely smarter." Naruto and Sasuke had found out that behind the lazy exterior was by all rights a genius. Shikamaru was extremely intelligent for a kid his age, and he knew more about ninja techniques, ninja affairs, political relations, clan procedures and history than anyone else. Apparently, when he wasn't cloud watching, he was reading. His memory was excellent as well, so he retained all of the knowledge he acquired quite easily.

"I don't see how me being smarter than you will help me. You would still beat me in seconds." Naruto shook his head.

"Who cares. You're coming, no matter how troublesome you think it is." Shikamaru groaned. "I'll drag you there if I really have to." Sasuke sighed.

"He will." Shikamaru sighed.

"Fine, I'll go." Naruto smiled widely, while Sasuke grinned a little. He could get used to having these two around. Their presence was almost soothing in a fucked up way, but he liked it. Maybe he wouldn't be so alone after all.

'_I swear I'll be strong big brother. And I'll carry on your dream to protect the village.'_

XxX

The top of the Hokage Mountain was a special place for Naruto. He always felt closer to his father here than anywhere else, plus it had the best view. It was his go to spot in the village for anything: thinking, eating ramen, relaxing after training. But today he was not alone.

"It's a little cold up here." Naruto's head turned towards his companion.

"It's just a little windy. You get used to it." The blonde replied. As they walked atop the Fourth Hokage's head, the entire view of the Leaf Village and the horizon above it opened up in front of them. Kairi wondrously gazed at the beauty displayed before her as they sat down.

Wow…I never realized how big the village was." She stated as her eyes flicked from building to building.

"That's what I said when Uncle Jiraiya first took me up here. I remember he told me that if I ever wanted to be close to dad I could just come up here." He smiled as he looked down at the monument underneath him.

"You miss him don't you?" She asked quietly.

"Of course I do." He answered matter-of-factly. "But missing him won't bring him back. Instead, I'll try my hardest to live up to his name. Both of their names. And then I'll surpass them. If I do that, then I know I'll have made them proud." Kairi stared at Naruto with slightly wide eyes.

"You know, you're the most mature seven year old I've ever met." Naruto shrugged and laughed.

"Yea I think Uncle Jiraiya did that on purpose. I guess he didn't want me to be like he was when he was a Genin." Kairi's head tilted.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he was the dead last on his Genin team. It wasn't until he got the Toad contract that he changed. He told me all kinds of stories about Orochimaru and Tsunade kicking his ass." Naruto explained fondly.

"That's hard to believe. I haven't heard of many ninja alive today that could go toe-to-toe with Jiraiya of the Sannin. Sensei told us that once during a mission, Jiraiya stayed behind to fight a force of twenty Jonin-level ninja. He came back twenty minutes later covered in blood and ash, but Sensei said none of it was his." Naruto chuckled at Kairi's story.

"That could have been exaggerated you know? But it sounds like something he would do. He would never let a comrade die before him." Naruto looked up at the sky. "Who is your Sensei anyway?" He asked after a few moments of slience.

"Aoba Yamashiro. He's a little bit too carefree, but he's serious during training, and he's strong. He's a good Sensei." Naruto nodded.

"Good. You're so lucky you graduated. I can't stand The Academy anymore. All I ever do is spar with Sasuke, and we can't even go all out or we'll end up breaking something. I just wish the old man would let me out already." Naruto stated enviously.

"Speaking of Sasuke, where is he?" Kairi asked curiously. "You two are always together." Naruto laughed.

"Yea, but he needed some time alone. I'm sure you heard what happened…" Kairi nodded, "…he's just making peace with it."

"Well I hope he does. And don't worry about The Academy. You'll be Genin before you know it." Naruto looked out over the village and sighed.

"You're right." A smile crossed his face. "And then it won't be much longer til I'm Hokage."

XxX

**A/N: Ok, so that's chapter 6. Hope you like how it turned out. After this there will be a time skip. Not long, one year, but the story is starting to pick up. I've written up to Team 7's first mission, but it's not going to be anything spectacular. There will be fighting, but nothing epic. But that'll be in a few chapters, maybe in 2. Anyway, enjoy, peace.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Leaf's Geniuses

A year had passed since the Uchiha Massacre. In its wake, the village had lost one of its most prestigious clans, but civil war had been avoided, unbeknownst to most of the population. The villager's treatment of Sasuke had changed completely, and now they almost worshipped the ground he walked on. Besides the fact that he was a prodigy himself, mostly everyone in the village felt bad for the boy, and occasionally he would get free meals or other special treatment. He asked for none of this of course, but there was no way to stop them.

Over the last year Naruto and Sasuke had only grown stronger, as well as Shikamaru. Against his will, Shikamaru had started training with Naruto and Sasuke every day, and after a year, he was easily high-Genin level. Not as strong as Naruto or Sasuke, but he was certainly stronger than any other Academy student.

And this was the reason that Kakashi Hatake, as well as Shikaku Nara were in the Hokage's office.

"This is a hefty request Kakashi. How do you feel about this Shikaku?" The Nara stepped forward.

"Honestly, I have no qualms with Kakashi's request. Shikamaru's improvement over the last year has been outstanding. He's already learned two of our clan's techniques, as well as attempting a third, not to mention the other techniques he's learned. If anything, I request that Shikamaru be placed on a team with those two boys."

"You do not wish to continue the Ino-Shika-Cho trio?" Shikaku sighed.

"I would love to, but the truth is for Shikamaru's sake I would rather him be with those boys. That team has the potential to function just as well, if not better, than my old team." Hiruzen seemed surprised by this.

"That's quite a favorable reply. Kakashi, do you have anything to add?" Kakashi shook his head.

"No, just everything I've told you Lord Hokage. They're talent is being wasted in The Academy." Hiruzen sighed.

"Well I can't really say no can I? Very well, as of today, Kakashi Hatake is the Jonin sensei of Team 7, which consists of Naruto Namikaze, Sasuke Uchiha, and Shikamaru Nara." Kakashi nodded.

"Thank you Lord Hokage. You won't regret this." The Hokage nodded, and both Jonin exited the office. They walked out together, and when they were outside, Kakashi turned to Shikaku.

"Shikamaru will be fine. I'll protect him with my life." Shikaku smiled.

"I know. You didn't need to reassure me. But thank you." Kakashi shook his head.

"No, thank you. I've been trying to get Naruto and Sasuke out of The Academy for years. Your approval only helped."

"Well those two boys have helped my son immensely. There's no one else I'd rather have watching his back." Kakashi nodded.

"They're definitely something else. Expect to hear great things about your son's team Shikaku." Shikaku nodded and walked away. Kakashi decided he would take the rest of the day off, and relay his news to Obito and RIn. His teammates had to hear that he was going to be a sensei.

XxX

"Stealth is one of the most important skills a-"The door to the classroom opened, interrupting Iruka from his lecture. Kakashi stepped into the room. "Ah, Captain Kakashi, what a pleasant surprise." Kakashi chuckled.

"Sorry to bother you, but I'll be taking a few of your students." Iruka nodded.

"Yes I got the Hokage's letter this morning." Iruka turned to the class. "Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru, please go with Kakashi." The three students stood up and exchanged looks of confusion before filing down the aisle. "Good luck boys. I know you'll do well." Iruka said with a smile as they walked by, further confusing them. They followed Kakashi out the door, and he led them through the Leaf Village to one of the surrounding training grounds. Naruto smiled when he recognized it, identifying it as the training ground Jiraiya modeled his own after. The boys were silent the whole time, but their confusion was clear to Kakashi. Finally, they stopped in front of three large wooden posts, and Kakashi cleared his throat.

"Ok, so I'm sure the three of you are wondering what's going on." He was met with three nods. "Right. Well, as of today, the three of you are no longer Academy students."

"Does that mean what I think it does?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"Yes. Today, you three are the Genin that make up Team 7, which is led by me." Naruto shouted in elation, while Sasuke and Shikamaru smiled. "But, there's one more test before it's official."

"A test?" Shikamaru asked. Kakashi nodded.

"Yes a test. Your test," Kakashi pulled two bells out of his pocket, "is to take these bells from me." The three geniuses nodded and got into battle ready stances.

'_Man, they didn't even say anything about there being only two bells. They already get it. Still, I'm curious to see how well they work together.' _Kakashi tied the bells to his waist and pulled his headband up, revealing his Sharingan. Sasuke's eyes narrowed at this, and his own Sharingan blazed to life. "You have until noon to get the bells. Begin." Immediately, Shikamaru's shadow lurched forward, and Kakashi flipped backwards out of his range. Shikamaru's shadow receded and he hurled a few shuriken at Kakashi, who deflected them with a kunai. Shikamaru jumped away into the trees as Naruto and Sasuke charged at Kakashi from his sides. The Copy Ninja blocked both of their kicks with his arms, and he threw them towards the lake behind him. They both gracefully landed on the surface of the water and dashed back in at the Jonin. Sasuke flew through hand seals and brought his hand to his lips.

"Fire Style: Grand Fireball Technique!" A large fireball, larger than any Genin should have been able to produce, shot towards Kakashi. The Jonin's eyes widened before he plummeted underground with the use of his Earth Style: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique. He appeared below Sasuke, but against the Sharingan a technique like that lost its element of surprise, and Sasuke jumped away before Kakashi could grab him. Kakashi jumped up from the ground, and immediately five Narutos were upon him. He blocked two of their attacks, but the other three got a few hits in on Kakashi, only to find that is was a clone. The real Kakashi jumped out of the trees, and his hands flashed through hand seals.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Missile!" A large water dragon rose out of the lake, letting out a loud roar before diving at the Narutos, dispelling all of them at once. Kakashi looked around, seeing that the clearing was now empty. They had retreated for now, but Kakashi wasn't going to give them time to rest. No, he wanted to see how far they could be pushed.

Off in the woods, Shikamaru, Sasuke and Naruto sat in a circle, thinking of some way to get the bells.

"A frontal charge isn't going to work. I think he just established that." Naruto sighed and scratched his head.

"Well I don't know what else to do. You guys don't know Kakashi like I do. It's really hard to trick him. The only thing that's ever worked against him was an all out assault." Shikamaru shook his head.

"Not this time. He's serious." Naruto sighed and motioned for Shikamaru to continue. "Right, here's the plan."

Meanwhile, Kakashi jumped through the forest casually, seeking out his charges. He couldn't let them hide forever; that would be no fun. He finally found them sitting in a small circle, talking in hushed voices. He couldn't keep the excitement out of his voice as he appeared right in the middle of their circle.

"Hey, secrets are no fun." The Genin hopefuls yelped in surprise, jumping back and forming a triangle around Kakashi. Kakashi saw Shikamaru's hands go together, and immediately he jumped backwards, between Sasuke and Naruto. He went to throw his kunai, but when he was frozen in place, his eyes widened.

'_How?' _He looked out of the corner of his eye at Naruto, who stood in the same position as Shikamaru, except his shadow was connected to his. He looked forward again, noticing Shikamaru drop his hands. A second later, Shikamaru turned into Naruto, dropping the transformation. Kakashi sighed.

"You got me." Sasuke walked up to the paralyzed Kakashi, and ripped the bells off of his waist. Shikamaru, who was now himself again, dropped his technique, and Kakashi was free to move again.

"So, do we pass?" Naruto asked, a smile on his face. Kakashi chuckled.

"I don't think there's any way I can't pass you is there?" Naruto started to laugh happily, while Sasuke and Shikamaru gave him weird looks. They eventually joined in however, as they were just too excited to finally be Genin. Kakashi watched them with a sense of pride. They were his students, and he was gonna make damn sure they became they legends they were supposed to be.

XxX

As soon as Team 7 had passed their test, Kakashi had insisted they get their team photo done. Naruto, Sasuke and Shikamaru stood together, Naruto in the middle, and Kakashi right behind him, with a hand on Shikamaru and Sasuke's head. Sasuke had a slightly annoyed look on his face, but a smile was bubbling up on his face, while Shikamaru just looked at the sky out of the corner of his eye. Naruto had a small smile on his face, with his headband proudly tied across his forehead. Later when Kakashi looked at the picture, a nostalgic smile made its way to his face. It was quite different than his team photo, and Kakashi couldn't help but notice Naruto's striking similarity to his father. He was like the reincarnation of the Fourth. this team was going to be a handful, but Kakashi could only see a bright future for them.

When the picture was taken and over with, Kakashi departed to tell the Hokage of Team 7's success, and that they were ready for active duty. Naruto and his teammates decided to celebrate with a bowl of ramen, by Naruto's suggestion. When they got to the ramen stand, they were surprised to see a Genin team already there. One of the Genin caught Naruto's attention, and he happily bounded over to her.

"Kairi!" Said girl turned in her chair, and she smiled when she saw the blond ninja.

"Naruto! Are you a ninja now?" She asked, seeing the headband tied around his head. He smiled proudly.

"Yup! This is my team. You know Sasuke and this is Shikamaru." Kairi smiled at the boys.

"A team of geniuses huh? You're making everyone look bad." Naruto chuckled and scratched his head.

"So what are you guys here for?" Naruto asked.

"My team just completed our first C-Rank mission, so our sensei took us for a treat." Naruto nodded.

"What was your mission?"

"Just a simple escort. Everything went fine, and it was pretty easy." Kairi smiled. "But sensei said a Genin's first C-Rank is a big deal, so we're celebrating."

"We're celebrating too! We just passed our Genin test!"

"So you just graduated? Well then congratulations!" Kairi turned to Sasuke and Shikamaru. "Are you two as excited as Naruto?" Sasuke nodded with a smile, while Shikamaru just shrugged. "Well, I hope our teams work together on a mission someday." Kairi stated as her team finished their meals. "Bye Naruto!" Kairi's team exited the ramen stand, and Team 7 took their places. They ate mostly in silence, just basking in the feeling of being a ninja.

XxX

A few weeks later, and after a slew of D-Rank missions Team 7 could have lived without, they were once again planted on the ground in the park, gazing at the sky.

"It's Kakashi's birthday in a few days." Sasuke and Shikamaru both perked their heads up and looked at Naruto.

"Really?"

"Yea, he would never tell you, because he thinks that he doesn't deserve a good birthday. And he doesn't like people in his personal life."

"Well what should we get him?" Sasuke asked. Naruto smiled.

"I already had an idea in mind." Sasuke and Shikamaru looked at Naruto expectantly.

"Well?" Shikamaru asked after a minute.

"Kakashi has a broken sword, made out of chakra conducting metal in his house. It was originally his father's, but he inherited it, and it means a lot to him." Sasuke nodded.

"That's a great idea." Shikamaru stated, causing Naruto to smile. "But how do we fix it?"

"I found a shop that can do it, I just have to talk to the guy. But first, we need a replica made.".

"Why a replica?" Sasuke asked.

"He would notice if we took it, so we need to switch it with an exact replica." Shikamaru nodded.

"Good idea. But how are we going to get into Kakashi's apartment?"

"I know where all of Kakashi's traps are and how to disable them. As long as he's not home we're good."

"How do you know all that? Shikamaru asked, slightly amazed.

"Kakashi was like my guardian after Uncle Jiraiya died. I was at his apartment a lot, and he just taught me one day, so I wouldn't hurt myself." Sasuke nodded.

"Alright, then one of us should go distract Kakashi, while the other two go break in."

"Sasuke and I will break in." Naruto stated, earning a shrug from Shikamaru.

"That's fine. I'd rather go do the easier job anyway." Naruto smiled and shook his head.

"Alright let's go." They left the park and followed Naruto to Kakashi's apartment via the rooftops. When they got there, they stationed themselves on a roof across from his apartment.

"Do you see him?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yea. He's sitting on his couch." Sasuke answered. "What do we do?"

"Shikamaru, go knock on his door and get him out of there." Shikamaru stared at Naruto blankly.

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"Don't ask me, you're the smart one." Shikamaru sighed and jumped away from the roof, landing on Kakashi's level. Naruto and Sasuke watched as Shikamaru knocked on Kakashi's door, talked with him for a moment, and walked away with his sensei in tow.

"Wow, he actually did it." Sasuke looked at Naruto in disbelief before following him across the roof and into Kakashi's apartment. Naruto dashed over to the wall, where two pieces of a shiny silver blade were mounted on the wall. "Alright, lets' go get that replica made."

XxX

Naruto stood in front of the blacksmith's store, broken blade in hand. They had successfully gotten a replica made, and that was currently mounted on the wall in Kakashi's apartment. The blacksmith that Naruto was going to now was the same man who had made all of his father's Flying Thunder God kunai. If anyone could fix this it was him. Naruto walked into the store, earning a smile from the familiar man.

"Naruto! Good to see you! How are you?" Naruto smiled at the old blacksmith.

"I've been okay. I have a favor to ask." The old man nodded.

"Anything for you my boy." Naruto handed the broken blade to the man.

"Can you fix this? It's my sensei's, and he never fixed it." The old man examined the blade for a moment.

"I take it Kakashi Hatake is your sensei?" Naruto nodded.

"Yea, how'd u know?"

"Any Leaf Village blacksmith worth his salt could recognize the weapon of the Leaf's White Fang." The man set the blade on the counter. "I can certainly fix it, but there's one problem." Naruto frowned.

"What is that?"

"The metal used in this blade is extremely rare, and it can only be found in mines in the Land of Iron. I would need to get my hands on some of that metal to fix your blade." Naruto scratched his head.

"How do you normally get it?"

"Well, I usually go to the Hokage and have a mission commissioned." Naruto smiled.

"That's perfect! You can go request a mission, and you can request my team to take it on!" The man looked at Naruto curiously.

"You're a ninja already?" Naruto nodded. "Well I'll be damned. Just like your father." Naruto smiled. "I'll go to the Hokage with your mission. Just make sure you come back with the right metal!"

"I will!" Naruto waved to the man and exited the shop. His plan had gone smoothly, all that was left was to retrieve the metal.

XxX

"That's enough for today." The Genin of Team 7 looked at Kakashi in confusion.

"But we've only been here half an hour." Kakashi nodded.

"Yep. But the Hokage has called us in to assign us a mission." Naruto smiled. The old man came through for him. "Let's go to the Hokage's office." Team 7 raced away from the training field, eager to start their first mission. When they arrived, they were able to see the Hokage quickly, and they were led straight to the room.

"Ah, Team 7, just in time. This person specifically asked for your team, so I wanted to get it to you as soon as I could.". Kakashi took the mission scroll.

"They asked for us specifically?" He asked as he scanned the scroll.

"Yes, I thought it odd too. Not many Genin teams get requested for missions after only a week, not to mention a C-Rank. But I think your team is more than ready." Hiruzen could see the gleam in each of the Genin's eyes, and he could almost feel their excitement. "You may recognize the name though." Kakashi looked at the name.

"That's a name I haven't seen in years. I should stop by his shop sometime." Kakashi tucked the scroll into his pouch. "We accept the mission Lord Hokage." Hiruzen nodded.

"Excellent. Leave as soon as you are ready." Kakashi nodded and Team 7 left the office. When they were outside, Kakashi stopped them.

"The Land of Iron is about a week away. Pack for three weeks at least; I do not know how long it will take to find this metal we are looking for." The three Genin nodded, and Kakashi disappeared, leaving his Genin to pack by themselves.

"This is perfect. We'll have Kakashi's blade fixed in no time! " Naruto cheered, earning looks from Shikamaru and Sasuke.

"What does Kakashi's present have to do with this?" Sasuke asked.

"This mission was requested by the blacksmith I went to for Kakashi's blade. It's to get the special metal to fix it."

"And Kakashi doesn't know?" Naruto shook his head.

"Not a clue." Then he smiled. "C'mon let's go already!" Naruto started running down the street, leaving Sasuke and Shikamaru to catch up. Excitement bubbled through their veins, and their anticipation was at a peak. They were finally real ninja, and their lives really started here.

XxX

**A/N: Ok so there's chapter 7. Next chapter will be the entire mission, but not much else other than that. I expect it will be kinda long, but I really won't know till I write it. I'm trying to move this along, so forgive me for not really showing any D-Ranks, but that would honestly be a waste of time. It's already been established that Team 7 is strong, so I'm trying to skip the boring shit. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed.****Id just like to say, if u have any questions or criticisms, leave a review and ill respond thru pm. If u review anonymously, I won't be able to message you back however. That's all. Peace**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Chakramantine

Team 7 waited at the gates of the Leaf Village patiently. They of course knew of Kakashi's late streak, and thus they were half an hour late.

"You would think he'd at least be on time for a mission." Naruto stated, leaning against the guard post. Kakashi suddenly appeared in front of Naruto, startling him and causing him to fall on his ass.

"Are we ready?" Naruto jumped up.

"We've been ready!"

"Great! Then what are we waiting for?" Kakashi walked out of the gate, Sasuke and Shikamaru close behind. Naruto followed along, grumbling about Kakashi's antics. When they were a good distance away from the village, Kakashi jumped into the trees. His Genin followed, and soon they were all jumping together in a line across the vast foliage of the Land of Fire. Kakashi of course had to slow his pace a little, but they kept up with him nonetheless.

"So what is this mission anyway?" Naruto asked, feigning his obliviousness.

"We are to go to the Land of Iron and acquire some chakramantine, and deliver it to a blacksmith by the name of Juinichi Genno. Juinichi is one of the best blacksmiths in the village. He's been in the business for years."

"He's the man who made my father's kunai right?" Kakashi nodded.

"Yes. Sensei always said that without those kunai his technique would have been flawed." Kakashi cleared his throat. "Anyway, the mission is to retrieve this metal for Juinichi. It shouldn't be too hard." Naruto nodded.

"What's the Land of Iron like?" Sasuke asked.

"Cold. It snows year round there. Most of the Land of Iron is rocky, mountainous terrain. Their main export is metal, because of the abundance of many metals in the area. Most of the villages are mining villages, built directly on top of the mines themselves."

"Isn't that a little dangerous?" Shikamaru asked.

"You would think so, but they make it work. Also, another thing about the Land of Iron is that there are no ninja there." Naruto's eyes widened.

"No ninja? How is that possible?"

"The Land of Iron is governed only by its Daimyo, and the Samurai are the only military force there. The Land of Iron prides themselves on staying neutral in ninja affairs, and they've been like that since the founding of the Hidden Villages." Kakashi explained. As they traveled, Kakashi answered a slew of questions from the boys, who were eager beyond words. Finally, the daylight faded, and Kakashi called for them so set up camp. In just over twenty minutes, the camp was set up, and a fire was blazing in the center. Some Instant Ramen was being boiled, courtesy of Naruto.

"Are we always going to have ramen?" Shikamaru asked, staring at the pot of boiling noodles lazily.

"As long as I'm alive we will!" Naruto declared. "Ramen is the food of the gods." Shikamaru stared at Naruto with slightly wide eyes, before accepting the fact that Naruto was a little insane.

"Right." Kakashi chuckled at the exchange.

"Sensei used to eat ramen every mission too." Sasuke silently stared at the Fire as his team relaxed. He couldn't help but wonder about Itachi. He had no idea where he was, what he was doing, or even if he was ok. He wasn't feeling sad, he was just worried. Itachi may have been one of the strongest ninja he knew, but life on the run was brutal. Sasuke only hoped Itachi could cope.

"Hey Sasuke, you alright?" Sasuke snapped out of his reverie and looked over at Naruto. He smiled slightly.

"Yea, I'm fine." Naruto smiled back at him, and bowls of ramen were distributed. They sat around the campfire for the remainder of dinner, talking about things both related and unrelated to the ninja world. When their stomachs were full, Kakashi took the first guard shift, promising to wake them when he was tired. They headed off to bed, although none of them felt like sleeping, well besides Shikamaru. Naruto was of course especially wound up, so he ended up waiting with Kakashi, keeping guard with him. Kakashi was surprised at Naruto's actions, but he admired them as well. Soon, they were talking like two lifelong teammates on a routine scout mission. Kakashi didn't understand how those three boys fell into being ninja so easily, but their decisions and attitudes, while not without childish qualities, were highly mature for eight year olds. As the night went on, Kakashi couldn't help but feel excited for the days to come. Being a sensei to this team was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and he was going to put his mind, body, and soul into it. 

XxX

Five days later, they finally arrived in the Land of Iron. It was a cold, crisp morning, but the pelting snow and harsh wind barely effected Team 7. Upon their crossing the border, they donned cloaks to keep their bodies warm. Now they were traversing through the snow, on the way to one of the mining villages.

"What's the name of the village we're headed to?" Sasuke yelled to Kakashi over the howling wind.

"Chakramantine Town! All of the villages are named after the metal that can be mined there! It's a pretty effective way of organization if you think about it!" Kakashi yelled back to his students. They decided not to reply, for they were sick of yelling, so the rest of the journey was in silence. When they finally arrived at the town gates, four samurai guards drew their swords as they approached, instantly recognizing them as ninja, even with the cloaks.

"You're far out of your territory Leaf ninja." One of the samurai stated with firmness. "What are you doing here, Kakashi Hatake?" Kakashi sighed, his fame once again giving away his identity.

"We're here on a simple mission!" Kakashi shouted, holding up the mission scroll. "We just wish for entrance into your village." The samurai cautiously stepped forward. Kakashi handed him the scroll, and he tore it open. He read the contents quickly, rolled it shut, and handed it to Kakashi.

"Very well. But we will be keeping an eye on you Hatake." The samurai stepped aside, and the gates creaked open. They revealed a small town, with roads just big enough for pedestrians, and stone huts lining them. Smoke was pouring out of each chimney, and it was no surprise with the weather the way it was. Wooden pallets and bricks were stacked up against some of the huts. Various mining tools were leaned against the huts as well, and it was clear that all this town knew was mining. Signs hung from posts, showing which huts were shops or inns. They stopped at one particular inn, the Mountain's Cradle, and they had booked two rooms. The rooms were surprisingly warm, but that was probably because each room had a fireplace. They were all currently in the same room, discussing how to go about their mission.

"The first thing we need to find out how to get our hands on some chakramantine. I can take care of that. I'll go out and ask around. You three just stay here and relax. I know that was a long trip." The three boys nodded as Kakashi stood up. He pulled is cloak around his body and exited their room, stepping into the stone hallway. He walked through the halls of the inn and outside into the snow, searching around for anyone who could help him. A group of miners stood outside of a blacksmith shop, probably after selling what they had mined that day. He approached them, getting their attention by clearing his throat. They looked at him skeptically, not trustful of any ninja who passes through these parts.

"Can we help you?" One of the bigger miners asked, hefting his pick axe onto his shoulder.

"I'm just looking for a way to get some chakramantine." A few of the miners shook their heads.

"I'm afraid that's not possible." The big miner stated.

"Why not?" Kakashi asked.

"Well, there's a group of bandits who have made their home in the chakramantine mine. They took it over, and we haven't been able to get back in since." Kakashi seemed shocked.

"The samurai haven't taken care of them?" Usually, samurai were a lot more precise and hasty when it came to bandits. It was in a samurai's code to protect his people, and any threat was to be eradicated immediately, or die trying.

"Well that 's the thing. They tried, and they got their asses kicked." Kakashi was shocked further.

"A bunch of bandits beat samurai?" The big miner shook his head.

"Not quite. Now I don't know if this is true, but I've heard rumors, and it's the only explanation as to why the samurai lost. There has to be a ninja in that group." That would explain it, thought Kakashi. While the samurai in the Land of Iron were definitely the strongest of any samurai army on the continent, there weren't many samurai in the world that could fight on par with a ninja. Ninja's just had a wider, more diverse set of skills.

"I see. Where is this mine?" The miner pointed down the road, towards a mountain.

"Straight down this road will lead you to the mine. Just make sure you follow the markers when you leave the village." Kakashi nodded.

"Thank you sir." Kakashi turned to leave, but the miner called for him to wait.

"Are you goin' after those bandits?"

"If they get in the way of my mission, then I'll take their lives. That's my job." With that he walked away, satisfied with the information he acquired. For the rest of the day they would rest, and tomorrow they would scout out the mine. 

XxX 

Team 7 marched along the snowy trail, their path shown to them by the markers. Kakashi had explained the situation upon arriving back at the inn, and now his Genin were a hundred percent serious. The pretense of a fight got their blood pumping and their hearts thumping. Finally, they caught their first glimpse of the mine shaft, and Kakashi stopped them behind a ridge.

"Ok, we know that this mine is occupied by the bandits, making it an enemy stronghold. I found out the bandits are about 75 strong, so there should be no problems. However, as I mentioned before, there's a possibility that there is a ninja with the group. I'll deal with him when he shows himself." Kakashi glanced up at the mine, stared at it for a few seconds, and then turned back to his charges. "Alright here's the plan: go in and defeat all the bandits." The Genin gave Kakashi a dry look.

"That's not much of a plan. I bet Shikamaru could think of a way better one." Naruto stated. Kakashi just chuckled.

"I agree, it isn't the most well-thought-out plan. But they're bandits. Realistically, if there aren't any Jonin level ninja in there, I could do this by myself." The Genins' eyes widened.

"You could take on 75 people alone?" Sasuke asked, not being able to keep some awe out of his voice.

"Bandits, yes. But ninja are a different story. Now listen up. There are two sentries posted by the entrance. Naruto, Sasuke, you two go knock them unconscious." Naruto and Sasuke grinned, before they left their cover. They dashed towards the mine, faster than a bandit's eye could track, hiding behind a few wooden crates near the entrance. They silently jumped behind the guards, and before the bandits could speak, Naruto and Sasuke delivered brutal strikes to the temple with the hilt of their kunai. The bandits collapsed in a thud, and a few moments later Kakashi and Shikamaru walked up to the entrance. "Well done." Naruto beamed at the praise, while Sasuke just grinned slightly. Kakashi walked up to the mine entrance, looking down the long, dark tunnel. Torches hung on the walls, barely illuminating the mine. Unused tools and various supply crates were stacked against and on top of each other, but there was no sign of the bandits. "It looks like the bandits are further in. Let's go in and see what we can find." Kakashi started to walk into the mine, and his students were right behind him. They treaded quietly through the mine, in order to keep their presence hidden. Finally, they reached what looked like one of the huts back in the village, except it was at least thirty times larger, and Kakashi decided to investigate it. As soon as he walked into the large hut, he regretted it. This must have been the barracks, because all 75 of those bandits turned and glared at him when he walked in.

"Aha, I knew I took a wrong turn-"

"Get him!" Kakashi sighed and started to fly through hand seals.

On the outside, Team 7 was waiting patiently for their sensei when the roof exploded, showering stones everywhere. Kakashi jumped out of the hut, and landed next to his charges. "Ready for a fight?" Naruto grinned in anticipation as the bandits came pouring out of the barracks. They surrounded Team 7, leaving them no choice but to fight their way out. It was quiet for a moment, until part of the bandits parted, giving room for who Kakashi assumed to be the leader to walk through.

"Well well did those pesky villagers finally swallow their pride and hire some ninja to take care of us?" The man grinned and stared at Kakashi, his headband shining in the low light. "And not just anyone, but the Copy Ninja himself. This just keeps getting more interesting."

"We're here for the chakramantine." Kakashi replied. "It's not my mission to kill you, but I will if you get in my way." The rouge ninja started laughing.

"So righteous! Well then Kakashi, I tire of this banter. Show me the power of the Copy Ninja!" The ninja, who was previously a member of the Hidden Sand Village, judging by his slashed out headband, pulled out a katana, and charged it with wind chakra. Kakashi's eyes widened.

"He may be a little stronger than I thought..." He mumbled to himself. "You three take care of the bandits!" He shouted, before charging a kunai with lightning chakra and charging in. He threw his kunai, knowing that hand to hand with a wind user was not in his best interest. He followed up his throw with a few hand seals.

"Fire Style: Rolling Fire!" Kakashi blew out a wave of fire that rushed across the ground at his opponent. His opponent jumped into the air and dove in at Kakashi, his katana aimed at Kakashi's head. Kakashi stepped sideways, letting the blade pass by him, before grabbing the rouge ninjas arm. He snapped it backwards, hearing a satisfying crunch as he did. The rouge nin grunted in pain, but he didn't falter. He switched the grip on his sword, bringing it around to cleave Kakashi's head off. Kakashi substituted with a rock in time to save his head, and he reappeared behind the missing ninja with a kunai at his throat. "It's over. Don't move or I'll kill you." The ninja started to laugh, and when he twitched, Kakashi plunged the kunai into his jugular, ending his life. 

XxX

Naruto had never thought about fighting this many enemies at once. It was complete chaos. Bandits were hacking and slashing at him and his teammates left and right. With the addition of numerable Shadow Clones, it was almost as if there was a tiny war going on. But what the bandits made up for in number, they definitely lacked in skill. Naruto understood why Kakashi said he would be able to take one all these idiots by himself. He was sure that he could have done it just as well! The bandits took no time at all to defeat, and by the end there were a bunch of tied up, unconscious ruffians decorating the mine floor like lawn gnomes. Naruto surveyed his team's work proudly, deeming his first mission a complete success, even if they hadn't technically accomplished it yet. Now was the easy part. Eventually, Kakashi came back and joined them, although the other ninja did not. They didn't ask, nor did Kakashi tell, but they knew what Kakashi had done.

"Any casualties?" The white-haired ninja asked as he approached the boys.

"I think one of them might have got my hair." Shikamaru stated with annoyance, feeling the back of his hair.

"Well then, we should get you to a hospital right away." Sasuke said, completely straight-faced. Naruto giggled, and Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"Fine, but you have to carry me." At that, Sasuke frowned.

"Never." Kakashi patted both boys on the head, turning their expressions into smiles.

"You guys did great today. I couldn't be any prouder than I am right now."

"Does that mean you'll treat us to ramen when we get home?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"No. I would like to hold on to this next paycheck thankyouverymuch." Naruto sulked, before his head snapped up.

"Hey, where is this metal were supposed to find anyway?" Kakashi looked around. He walked over to a shiny, silver rock formation.

"Found it." Shikamaru rolled his eyes, and he walked over.

"This is chakramantine?" He asked, examining the rock.

"Yup. Grab a kunai and start breaking off chunks of it. We'll seal it in a scroll, and then our mission will be complete." Naruto and Sasuke walked over, pulling out kunai along with Shikamaru. They got to work on the chakramantine vein, breaking off as many large chinks as they could. After about ten minutes, Kakashi stopped them and sealed their prize in a scroll. "That should be enough. C'mon, we'll go back to the village and rest for the rest of the day. Tomorrow we depart for home." 

XxX

Naruto couldn't help but smile at the sight of the Leaf Village gates. After another long five days of travel, he was ready to lie down in his comfy bed and sleep. The villagers of chakramantine town had been extremely thankful for the eradication of the bandits, stating that the bandits had the village in a chokehold with their occupation of the mine. Their last night at the inn had been free, and many other gifts were offered to them as well, but they were all declined. The samurai had cleaned up the rest of the bandits, although they could take no credit for it.

When they arrived in the village, Kotestu and Izumo, the gate guards, told them the Hokage was expecting them.

"He wished to speak with your team immediately upon your return." Izumo had told Kakashi. When they arrived in his office, Hiruzen was puffing his pipe, staring out the window.

"You wishes to see us Lord Hokage?" Hiruzen turned around and set his pipe on his desk.

"Indeed. How did they perform?" The Professor asked, getting straight to the point.

"Better than I did on my first mission, that's for sure." Hiruzen smiled.

"I've heard that story before." Kakashi chuckled. "Well then I assume the mission was a success. Here is your pay," Hiruzen handed Kakashi four envelopes, "and the mission objective?" Kakashi pulled out the sealing scroll full of chakramantine. "Excellent. This will be delivered to Juinichi by the end of the day. You are dismissed." Kakashi nodded, and Team 7 exited the tower. He distributed the pay to his Genin, who looked at their envelopes with pride.

"Ah, I remember my first paycheck." Kakashi drew in a deep, nostalgic breath. "Don't waste it on hookers, booze, and drugs." The boys eyed him oddly. "Eh, I guess you're not old enough for that. Well, ciao." Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Do you think-"

"No." Sasuke cut Naruto off mid question.

"You don't even know what I was going to ask!" Naruto shouted in protest.

"You were going to ask if we thought Sensei was going to go get some hookers, drugs and booze." Naruto looked down at the ground.

"Jerk." Shikamaru sighed.

"And now that image is in my head forever." Naruto laughed at this, and soon the other two joined in as well. 

XxX

**A/N: There's chapter eight. I hope it was good. One of the things I'm really trying to focus on with Team 7 is the teacher-student relationship. In canon, Kakashi is a pretty shitty teacher. I think that's stupid and lame, so I'm really working on making him a good teacher. Idk if it's working, but if you look you can see that Kakashi explains things thoroughly, and he teaches them more than ninja techniques. Another thing I wanna touch on, is the strength of Team 7. Yes, they are extremely powerful for kids their age. But, to counter this, everyone else who is an important character is stronger as well. Kakashi is much better than his canon self, and you'll see the true manifestation of that in the next arc. Also, enemies will be a lot stronger as well. Kage level will be well surpassed by both allies and enemies, so the battles that matter will be even. I just like writing battles on an epic scale, and with a bunch of Kage level ninja it gets fun. ******

**Lastly ill just preview what's to come. I'll tell you now, this is the end to the Prologue Arc, and the next arc starts with the Chuunin Exams. Orochimaru will be a factor, but that's all I'm gonna say right now. You'll have to read the changes for yourself. Anyway, hope you enjoyed, peace.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Ready for Chuunin?

"I'm sure with all the rumors going around, and the various preparations that have been going on over the past month that most of you have figured out that the Chuunin Exams are coming to the Leaf once again." Hiruzen sat in front of every Jonin-sensei in the village. His pipe extended from his mouth, and he would take a puff between sentences. "Which brings me to the purpose of this meeting. I'm sure a lot of you are excited about nominating your teams, so we might as well get this started. I'll start with the older teams."

Kakashi contemplated his choices. His team was obviously ready physically; they were already Chuunin in skill level. But it was their mentality he didn't want to damage. People died in the Chuunin Exams, hell some people have had to kill comrades to get through them. They were built to weed out the pussies, and while he didn't think they couldn't handle it, he didn't want to put them through that just yet. But, then he'd be a hypocrite. He took the exams at age 6, fresh out of The Academy, two years before his protégés. He passed them easily too, although he had seen things in that exam that were burned into his mind forever. But in the end, he came out okay, and Kakashi truly believed in his charges.

"And lastly, Kakashi Hatake, leader of the young Team 7." Kakashi looked at the Hokage, who was gazing at him curiously. Apparently he wanted to know if the geniuses would take part just as much as everyone else. No one in the room thought Kakashi would nominate them, so when he stepped forward, shock was evident on mostly everyone's face.

"I, Kakashi Hatake, nominate Naruto Namikaze, Sasuke Uchiha, and Shikamaru Nara for the Chuunin Exams." He stepped backwards, knowing that he had just started what was going to be a rumor that spread like wildfire. He smirked behind his mask, amused at the attention these boys got.

"Well, then this meeting is adjourned. Begin training your Genin to the best of their capabilities; they will need it. 

XxX

"When are we going on another mission Sensei?" Kakashi sighed, as that was the third time this week Naruto had asked. He had been putting them through rigorous training in preparation for the Chuunin Exams, but he hadn't told them about it yet. He figured now was as good a time as any.

"We won't be taking any more missions for awhile." Kakashi waited for the protest.

"What! Why not?"

"Because we will be training for the next two weeks in preparation for the Chuunin Exams." Naruto seemed like he was about to retort, when realization struck him.

"The Chuunin Exams? You mean we're taking them?"

Kakashi nodded. "I nominated you three yesterday. Do you think you're up for it?"

Sasuke smirked. "Of course. You wouldn't have nominated us if we weren't."

Kakashi scratched his head. "That's true, but I don't want you to go into these exams thinking they'll be easy. People die in these exams." At that, the Genins' eyes widened.

"Really?"

Kakashi nodded. "Yes, in fact I can't remember the last exam when a Genin didn't die."

Shikamaru sighed. "How troublesome."

"It's more than troublesome Shikamaru. I remember my first Chuunin Exam. I was six years old, and I had been placed on a Genin team that had recently lost one of its members. We were in the survival stage of the exam. The exams were held in Hidden Cloud, and we were brought to an island. We were given a fraction of a map, and in order to get a complete map, you had to take the right parts from another team. We encountered a team from Hidden Mist, and while I was strong enough to handle them, my teammates were not. I was the only one standing at the end of the battle. One of my teammates and been fried by a Lightning Style Technique so badly, that his entire body was charred black. The other had lost both of his legs and an arm. He was still alive, but his cries of pain were excruciating, and he begged me to end his life. I did it...but those screams still haunt me today."

Naruto gulped. "That's..." He stopped talking, clearly at a loss for words. Shikamaru was deathly pale, and even Sasuke looked queasy.

"I'm not saying this to scare you three, but I just want you to understand how dangerous these exams are. Not only that, but you three are going to be public enemy number one."

Shikamaru took a deep breath. "Why is that?" He asked.

"Well, you're going to be the youngest kids there, and all of the older Genin will pick you as easy targets. Although you can use this to your advantage as well."

"They'll underestimate us." Sasuke stated, understanding Kakashi's thought process.

"Exactly. If you appear weak until the last minute, you'll certainly catch a few teams off guard."

Naruto clenched his fists, and he pounded one into his palm. "I'm not going to lose to anyone." His serious tone surprised Kakashi. "Train us Sensei."

Kakashi smiled, "You don't have to tell me. However, before we start training, I want to teach each of you a technique." Excitement bubbled onto their faces. "But it will be a different technique for each of you. Naruto, I'd like to teach you your father's technique." Naruto's eyes widened.

"You mean the Rasengan?" Kakashi nodded, and Naruto laughed happily. "I can't believe you're gonna teach me the Rasengan."

"Well, it's your birthright. You're lucky your father was my sensei. Jiraiya was the only other person who knew." Naruto smiled sadly. "As for the two of you, I'll be teaching you my original technique. Sasuke should be the only one capable of using it, but I think you'll find it useful as well Shikamaru."

"What do you mean only I should be able to do it?" The Uchiha asked.

"Well without the Sharingan, the technique causes tunnel vision. But, Shikamaru can use it in a different way. The way it was supposed to be used." The silver-haired Jonin explained. "I'll explain in detail later. For now, I'm going to teach Naruto the Rasengan, so why don't you two go spar for a bit." Sasuke and Shikamaru nodded before walking to a clear space and starting their spar. "Alright Naruto, normally the Rasengan is an extremely hard technique to learn. It took Sensei four years to create it, and it took me a year to master it with Sensei's guidance. Jiraiya learned it in a few months, but I don't claim to have nearly as much skill as one of the Legendary Three.". Naruto seemed discontent.

"How am I supposed to learn it then?"

Kakashi smiled. "Well, you have the chakra reserves of about ten Jiraiyas. Do you remember when I taught you the Shadow Clone Technique?"

Naruto smiled at the memory. "Yea…"

"Well, the other reason I taught it to you was because you're the only person capable of using it to its fullest extent."

Naruto cocked his head. "What do you mean?"

"I'll show you. Will you create a Shadow Clone for me? One will do." Naruto nodded a created a single clone. Kakashi motioned the clone over, and whispered something in its ear. He then punched then clone in its head, dispelling it instantly. After a moment, Naruto frowned angrily.

"Sasuke is not a better ninja than I am!" Kakashi smiled, and realization struck Naruto. "Holy crap I know what you said!"

"Exactly. The Shadow Clone Technique has many uses besides outnumbering an enemy. One of them is to significantly reduce training time. Especially for you. If someone with an average chakra capacity used this strategy, they may be able to speed up training by two, maybe three times the amount of time. But you...you could easily speed it up 500 times the amount." As Kakashi explained this, he finally realized Naruto's potential. It was virtually limitless. Anyone that could cram 500 years of training into one had the potential to become something beyond human. Something like a...god.

"Wow, that's amazing."

Kakashi nodded. "It is. So, I will teach you the first step of the Rasengan, and once you get the hang of it I want you to try and master it as fast as you can. I know two weeks seems like a ridiculous amount of time, especially when it took a year for me, but if anyone can do it, you can."

Naruto smiled at Kakashi, but it was a different kind of smile. It was one of gratitude. "Thank you Sensei. I won't let you, or my father or Uncle Jiraiya down."

Kakashi nodded and held his hand out, producing a water balloon seemingly out of nowhere. "Now, the first step. Watch closely." Naruto studied the balloon intently as it started to violently shake, before bursting open.

"What did you do?" Naruto asked.

"I used my chakra to spin the water in the balloon so violently, that it popped. Now," Kakashi walked away for a minute, before returning with an absurd amount of bags, all containing water balloons. "I got you all the water balloons you could possibly need, so create a bunch of clones and get to work." Naruto nodded, and created his army, ordering them to pick up a balloon and work on the technique. Meanwhile, Kakashi had stopped Sasuke and Shikamaru's spar, calling them over. "Alright Sasuke, this really should only take a minute, with the help of the Sharing-"

"No." Kakashi blinked at his student's response, before he looked at where Sasuke's gaze was directed. Shikamaru seemed surprised too. He was staring intently at the group of Narutos, whom were now cursing up a storm at their failure. Kakashi vaguely wondered where Naruto had learned such language, but he shook his head and smiled.

"Very well. We'll do this the normal way then." Sasuke grinned, and Kakashi held his arm out, gripping his wrist with his other hand. In seconds, his hand was crackling with blue lightning, and Sasuke could feel the raw power emanating from the technique. As soon as it started, the electricity stopped, and Kakashi relaxed. "That was the Raikiri, an advanced form of the Chidori. I'll be teaching you the Chidori, but they're extremely similar, the only difference being that the Raikiri has more destructive power. Now, while I can't be sure, I have a strong feeling in my gut that you, Sasuke, have an affinity for lightning chakra. Hold your hand out." Sasuke complied, and Kakashi held his out, an inch of space between both. The Jonin concentrated, and after a second a spark of lightning jumped from his hand to Sasuke's. "You are. That's great; that makes this a hell of a lot easier. Did you feel anything when the lightning chakra touched you?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yea, my whole body felt numb and tingly."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. 'His whole body? He must be able to conduct it easily. I swear these kids...' Kakashi smiled under his mask. "That's good. Now to test you Shikamaru." Kakashi did the same to his other student, although a noticeably weaker spark appeared. "Not as strong as Sasuke's affinity, but good enough. That really makes this easy. Now, you know that numb and tingly feeling you mentioned Sasuke?" The Uchiha nodded. "Good. Try to recreate that feeling." Both boys closed their eyes and concentrated, trying to let the numbness spread through them. Sasuke felt the tingling sensation start to spread, before he lost it. He sighed and shook his head. Shikamaru did the same.

"That's okay. It takes years for some of the strongest Jonin to master elemental manipulation."

"I'll do it." Sasuke said firmly, gazing at the group of clones.

"I wouldn't have started teaching you if I didn't think you could. Now practice." And practice they did, for hours and hours. Finally, Shikamaru gave up and collapsed in frustration.

"I can't feel my face." He felt a pinch on his cheek and he yelped in pain. "Ow Kakashi what the hell!" The mentioned Jonin giggle.

"Clearly your face isn't numb if you felt-" Suddenly, a water balloon smashed against Kakashi's face.

"Naruto..." He turned to see Naruto smiling at him, his clones dismissed.

"What's the next step?"

Kakashi's eye widened. "You're done already?" Naruto held out another water balloon, and in seconds it burst open. Kakashi was shocked. "Amazing..."

Sasuke also walked over, sweat pouring down his face, breathing heavily. "Don't think you can outdo me Naruto." Sasuke held out his hand, and Kakashi couldn't contain his gasp of surprise when sparks of electricity jumped down his arm. A Genin getting the hang of elemental manipulation in a day was impossible. It seemed there truly were no boundaries this team couldn't break. Kakashi shook his head and stood up.

"Well, I definitely wasn't expecting that. We'll take the rest of the day off then. Oh, and Naruto?" The blond cocked his head. "You have five seconds before I get you back for that balloon." Naruto's pride turned into fear, and he quickly dashed away. Kakashi saluted his other two students, before disappearing.

"You'd think he would get that he can't screw with Kakashi." Shikamaru stated, shaking his head.

Sasuke collapsed on his back, taking a deep breath. "I don't think he cares."

Shikamaru shrugged and lied down next to Sasuke, content with cloud watching with his teammate. 

XxX

It was two days before the Chuunin Exams begun. Ninja from every hidden village were arriving by the minute. Team 7 was training for the last day, before resting up tomorrow. Sasuke had done the impossible; he had mastered his second elemental nature, along with the Chidori, although he could only use it twice in battle before he exhausted his chakra supply. Naruto as well had mastered his father's technique, and much to Kakashi's surprise, he was already trying to figure out ways to improve it. Kakashi mentioned that Minato had always said the technique was incomplete, and that he wanted to add elemental manipulation. Naruto seemed excited to tinker with the idea, but Kakashi doubted he would get anywhere anytime soon. Although they had surprised him so much, he really couldn't be sure. Shikamaru had been unable to master the Chidori in time, but his lightning manipulation was coming along, and he would master the technique soon. On a whim, Kakashi had also taught his team the Body Flicker Technique; a simple technique that could possibly save the life of the user. Kakashi was now convinced his team was fully prepared.

"Alright that's enough." The three Genin sighed in relief and collapsed wherever they had been standing. Kakashi has really pushed them it their last spar, and even he was feeling winded. "Go home. Rest and recover; you'll need it." Kakashi disappeared then, leaving the tired Genin to drag themselves home. They stayed on the ground, deciding to do a little cloud gazing, something that had become a sort of ritual for them. They stared at the night sky, letting the sight relax and soothe them. No words were spoken, for they were too tired for that, but none needed to be. They were a team thick as thieves, and even through silence they understood each other. Finally, they stood as one, and walked themselves home, each falling asleep as their heads hit their pillows. 

XxX

Naruto groggily rubbed his eyes as he sat up. It was now well into the afternoon, but after yesterday's training it was no surprise he woke up so late. He lazily put on some casual clothes, and ventured out into the village. Everywhere he looked he saw ninja from other villages. They were all much older than Naruto, and the blond felt a little proud that he was one of the youngest in the exam. He let this thought float through his head until he caught sight of a team from Hidden Sand. There were two boys and a girl; the girl and one of the boys looked like they had just graduated from the Academy. But the other boy seemed to be Naruto's age. Naruto was surprised to see someone else so young, but it excited him too. This boy was obviously strong, and Naruto couldn't wait to cross paths with him during the exams. 

XxX

A/N: Ok so there's chapter 9. Not much action, but still entertaining I hope. I know it seems like, Naruto and Sasuke mastered their techniques quite easily, but Naruto has the Shadow Clones, and Sasuke simply refuses to be beaten by Naruto. If Naruto could master the Rasengan in a week, why can't Sasuke master elemental manipulation in two. I also included the spar between Kakashi and Shikamaru just to show off Shikamaru's fighting style a little. You'll see more if him in the coming chapters, as the action is really gonna pick up now. Well as soon as the second stage starts that is. As you can see, Gaara is here as well, because I like Gaara and I'll be damned if I leave him out. It's really not a stretch for him to be here either, considering he's just as strong as Naruto. Next chapter will be up soon. I also wanna give a quick shout out to Senjuto, my new Beta. Thanks for reading, peace.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Exams Begin

Naruto, Sasuke and Shikamaru stood at the entrance to the Academy. It had been awhile since they had last been here, and they couldn't help but think of the peers they left behind. While they were stuck in the classroom, the members of Team 7 were already living out their dreams. And now they were trying for a promotion. Hundreds of Genin from every village surrounded them, all vying for the rank of Chuunin. The tension between the examinees was high, for everyone, even comrades, were enemies on this stage. Team 7 stuck close together, following the crowd to the top floor. When they reached the top, Kakashi was standing off to the side.

"Hey." He called them over casually. "You three sure about this?" He asked as they approached, although he could've guessed their answer.

"Are you kidding? I've never been so ready in my life. Just watch us become Chuunin Sensei!" Kakashi shook his head with a hidden smile.

"You're confidence is reassuring. Well, I have a lot of money riding on you three. Don't let me down. Oh, and don't die." With that, the silver-haired Jonin walked away, leaving his Genin frowning.

"I wonder if he realizes how unhelpful that sounds." Shikamaru stated with a sigh. They walked into the large classroom, which was packed full of candidates, and that's where Naruto saw the red-headed boy.

"Hey, guys, look over there." His teammates glanced at where Naruto pointed, and they were shocked.

"He looks just as old as us." Shikamaru stated. At that moment, the boy looked over at them, pinning Naruto with a chilling glare. Naruto squinted and grinned, feeling the power this boy emanated. Something about this boy called out to him, and he was gonna make sure he found out what.

"Naruto...are you okay?" Naruto looked over at Sasuke, who was looking at Naruto like he sprouted a new head.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Your eyes...they're red." Naruto blinked and grabbed Sasuke's head, looking straight at his headband. Staring back at him were two feral, red eyes.

"Whoa!" He stumbled back, rubbing his eyes furiously. When he looked back at the headband, his eyes were back to their normal cerulean color. "What was that..."

"I don't know, but we'll have to figure it out later. The proctor is here." The room fell silent as about 20 Chuunin, led by a stoic looking Jonin, entered the room. Shikamaru scoffed.

"Troublesome." Shikaku smirked at Shikamaru's statement, but didn't acknowledge him.

"Alright everyone, I am Shikaku Nara. Welcome to the Chuunin Exams. Now sit with your teams and shut the hell up." The group of Chuunin hopefuls quietly complied, taking about a minute to settle down. The Chuunin proctors stood around the room, and Shikaku stood in the center. "Listen up; I won't explain twice. This first exam is a test of the mind. Each team will be given a mission situation, and you must respond accordingly. You will be given a scroll by one of these Chuunin," he lazily gestured at the proctors" and then led into a smaller room, where you will receive further instruction. Any questions?" It stayed quiet. "Good. The exam begins now." The proctors distributed scrolls to each team, and they were lead out of the room one by one. Team 7 was led into a small classroom, and the Chuunin left them without a word.

"What do we do now?" Naruto asked.

"The head proctor said to wait for further instructions." Sasuke answered. Shikamaru shook his head.

"Open the scroll. Knowing my dad, there won't be any more instructions." Sasuke shrugged and unraveled the scroll.

"It's blank." Shikamaru sighed.

"He's not making this easy. Try the door." Naruto walked over and jiggled the doorknob.

"It's locked." Shikamaru looked around.

"Alright, we need to look for something out of place. That's how we're getting out of here."

"How 'bout the window?" Naruto asked, pointing at said window.

"That would be too easy." He heard a click, and he looked at Sasuke, who had opened the window. "Huh. Guess he forgot about the windows." The three Genin jumped out the window and climbed onto the roof. They found the room where they had originally been, and they broke in through the window. Shikaku, who was alone, sighed when he saw the three boys.

"Son, only your team would be the team to use the window." Naruto grinned. "Well whose idea was it?" Naruto stepped forward.

"Mine!"

"I see. You fail." Naruto balked.

"What! Why do we fail?" Shikaku shook his head.

"I didn't say you three." Naruto's eyes widened. "Your teammates can pass, but you're done." Shikamaru frowned.

"For what reason?"

"The point of the test was not to break out through the window. So one of you will be punished." Sasuke looked at Naruto, who had a devastated look on his face.

"I'll go." Naruto's head snapped up. "I'll fail. Naruto can go on." Shikaku's brow rose.

"You would sacrifice your shot at Chuunin for your friend?" Sasuke shrugged.

"I don't care about my rank. Plus, there's no point in beating these exams if I can't fight Naruto in the end." Naruto slightly grinned at this, but he shook his head.

"I'm not letting you quit for me. I messed up, I'll go." Shikamaru shook his head.

"Neither of you are going." Shikamaru turned to his dad. "You wouldn't disqualify one person from a team; it wouldn't make sense. Either we pass as a ream or we fail as a team." Shikaku smirked.

"Very well. You all...pass." Shikamaru grinned, while Sasuke and Naruto went wide eyed.

"But you just failed us." Naruto stated in confusion.

"It was never about how we escaped. It was all just a test to see how we responded." Shikamaru explained.

"Saw through that did you son? I told them it would be too easy for you if I was the proctor." At that moment the door opened, and a few teams were led in by a Chuunin.

"These teams have passed." Shikaku nodded.

"Good. We'll give them another hour. After that, any team left in the room fails." 

XxX

When the hour had passed, 25 teams were left standing. The rest had been berated for their idiocy, and then promptly kicked out of The Academy. When all was said and done, the rest of the candidates sat in the large classroom, with Shikaku watching over them. It was dead silent, and the Genin were waiting for some kind of signal to start the second exam. When the door clicked open, everyone's head turned to see who it was.

"Ah! You have indeed done well Shikaku! I can tell the fires of youth burn brightly in these Genin." Naruto recognized the voice immediately, and a groan escaped him.

"What?" Sasuke whispered.

"The next proctor is a lot to handle. Whatever you do, don't look at his eyebrows." Sasuke thought that sounded strange, until he saw the proctor's face. His eyebrows were literally the size of caterpillars. Chills ran up and down his back.

"Let me introduce myself! I am the Beautiful Blue Beast of the Leaf Village, Guy Maito!" Several Genin raised their eyebrows. "I am the second proctor of the Chuunin Exams. Now, follow me everyone!" With that, Guy crashed through the window, landing easily and sprinting off. Shikaku sighed.

"Please use the door." The Genin complied, and moments later they were following Guy's dust trail. They finally arrived at a large, fenced-in forest, and Guy was standing on the fence.

"Ah! You have arrived! Then let me wait no longer! This-"Guy spread his arms out-"is the Forest of Death. Inside this forest are some of the largest, vilest, and most dangerous animals in the Land of Fire. I personally love to train against hundreds of Mammoth Spiders. They are quite clever opponents." Shikamaru scoffed.

"Troublesome."

"Your goal in this forest is to find one of these scrolls," Guy held up a green scroll with the Leaf symbol on it, "and then find your way to the watchtower in the center of the forest. But, you only have 5 days to do so, and you must have all of your team members with you at the end to pass."

"How do we find these scrolls?" A random Genin called out.

"Excellent question my youthful friend! Each team will be given a fragment of a map. You must acquire the other part of your map from another team, any way necessary. Now, I will pass around these wavers. You must sign them so that the Leaf Village cannot get in any trouble in case you die." A few Genin blanched, but Guy kept a smile on his face. "Anyone need a pen?"

Naruto, Sasuke, and Shikamaru signed their wavers and handed them to Guy before getting their map from a Chuunin. They were led to one of the many gates surrounding the forest, and they patiently waited for the signal to start.

"So, Shikamaru, what's the plan?" Naruto asked, leaning against the fence.

"Well, I noticed that pretty much every team was eyeing us up. Us and that team from Sand. It was surprising to see another kid our age." Sasuke nodded and turned to Naruto.

"What happened back in that classroom?" Naruto sighed.

"I...have no idea. As soon as I looked at that kid I just..." He shook his head. "I don't know. But I'm scared. Red eyes could only mean..." He didn't finish his sentence, but the answer loomed over them like a shadow. Even the Chuunin obserant was interested in their conversation, though he didn't dare show it.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now. If it happens again we'll deal with it." Shikamaru stated with a shrug. "Like Sensei said, everyone is gonna look for us. I say we find a nice, secluded spot and set up some traps. Make them come to us." At that moment, the gates swung open, and a loud horn blasted, signaling the start of the second exam. Team 7 dashed into the forest, ready to set Shikamaru's plan into motion. They stopped in the first clearing they found, and Shikamaru surveyed the area. "This looks good enough. Let's start..." Shikamaru's eyes widened.

"Start what?" Naruto asked.

"Don't move." Shikamaru ordered. "There's a giant millipede behind you."

"What!" Naruto jumped and turned around, coming face to face with the creature. Globs of spittle oozed from its mouth, and its fangs were inches from Naruto's face. Naruto jumped away just as the millipede dove at him.

"Troublesome idiot." Shikamaru sent his shadow out and ensnared the millipede. He grunted and fell to a knee. "Can't...hold it..." Sasuke jumped into the air and smashed his foot onto the millipede's head as Shikamaru pulled his shadow back. The creature crashed to the ground with a moan, as Naruto readied his father's technique. A blue ball of swirling chakra formed in his hand, and he jumped straight over the millipede.

"Rasengan!" Naruto's attack drilled into the millipede, splattering its entrails all over the ground and Naruto. "Aw man! I didn't think that would happen." Sasuke smirked and Shikamaru shook his head.

"According to this map, there's a stream not too far from here. Go wash yourself quickly and hurry back. And for the love of god, please don't start more trouble." Naruto grinned.

"Which way?" Shikamaru pointed, and with a salute, Naruto was off into the trees.

"I bet you 5 ryo Naruto finds more trouble." Sasuke stated with a grin. Shikamaru glared at him.

"I'm not taking that bet." Sasuke let out a chuckle. "Go set up some kunai traps around the area. Make sure that they don't give away our position." Sasuke nodded and jumped into the trees, while Shikamaru started to dig a hole with his kunai. 

XxX

Naruto sighed as he floated on the stream. He was clothed only in his boxers, as the rest of his clothes were drying on a tree. He still had a little time before his clothes dried enough to wear them. As he spit a stream of water into the air, he heard some rustling leaves, and his body snapped to attention. He ducked his head under water, leaving only his eyes above the surface. A team of Rock Genin jumped out of the trees and landed near the stream.

"Perfect." One of them stated. "We'll set up camp here." Naruto cursed his luck. He was outnumbered, and there was no way to escape with all of his clothes. Not only that, but this team was from Hidden Rock. Surely once they spotted him they would try to tear him limb from limb, all because of what his father did during the Third Shinobi World War. Naruto weighed out his options in his head. His only hope was to cause enough of a ruckus to alert Sasuke and Shikamaru to his situation. Shikamaru said not to start any trouble, but he didn't see any other way. He waited until they got closer to the stream, and then he jumped out, startling the three Genin, and he kicked one of them away. The other two jumped back.

"Where the hell did you come from?" One of the Genin shouted angrily. His eyes widened after a second, and rage flashed across his face. "You! You're that bastard Yellow Flash's son aren't you?!" Naruto's eyes narrowed, but he gave no answer. "My father is dead because of your father! I'll kill you!"

The Rock Genin furiously charged in at Naruto, brandishing a short sword from his back. He hacked and slashed at Naruto, who desperately wished he had his weapons pouch on him. He was able to weave through most of the attacks, but he picked up a few cuts and scratches. One of the Rock Genin's teammates suddenly appeared behind him, and Naruto was only barely able to deflect the stab at his back. The blade instead slashed through his side, leaving a bloody gash behind it. Naruto screamed in pain and quickly jumped away, needing some space to recover. He fell to a knee and held his side as the blood poured out of the wound. "Not so tough now are you pipsqueak! When I bring your head to the Tsuchikage, he'll promote me on the spot!" Naruto stood up and made his signature hand sign.

"Shadow Clone Technique!" Hundreds of Shadow Clones appeared around the three Rock Genin, who now wore fearful expressions.

"Now who's not so tough!" The voices of hundreds of Narutos boomed through the forest. The Rock Genin paled as the clones closed in on them. 

XxX

"Now who's not so tough!" Shikamaru groaned as he heard Naruto's voice echo through the forest. Sasuke jumped down from the trees.

"We should go." Shikamaru nodded.

"Troublesome idiot. Why can't he just stay out of trouble." Sasuke shrugged and jumped into the trees, Shikamaru right behind him. When they reached the stream, they saw the bodies of three Rock Genin sprawled out on the ground.

"Looks like he took care of it." Sasuke stated, bending down to check the pulse of one. "They're unconscious." Shikamaru scanned the area.

"I don't see Naruto anywhere."

"Over...here..." Shikamaru turned to his left, and gasped. Naruto was sitting against a tree, his hand holding a blood soaked t-shirt to his side.

"Naruto! What happened?" Sasuke and Shikamaru rushed over to him and crouched down beside him.

"Got me from behind..." Shikamaru fumbled with his pack and pulled out a roll of bandages. He removed the bloody shirt from the wound, and cursed when he saw the gash.

"Shit that's bad. Really bad." Naruto started to laugh.

"It doesn't...hurt so much...anymore."

"Yea well that's because you're going into shock. Troublesome." Shikamaru started to wrap the bandages around Naruto's torso, and after many layers of bandages, he sliced the end and tied it tight. The bandages were already turning red.

"Naruto, I need you to lie down. Sasuke get him some water now." Sasuke handed Naruto his canteen, and Naruto took a gulp before lying down on his back. "We'll rest here until Naruto can move, and then we'll go back to the clearing." Sasuke nodded, and Naruto held his thumb up. The blonde then weakly thrusted something into Shikamaru's face.

"Got...their map." Shikamaru inspected the map before pocketing it.

"It's the same one as our, but I'll keep it as a bargaining chip in case anyone finds us. Good work Naruto." The blonde smiled before closing his eyes and falling asleep.

"What do we do with them?" Sasuke asked, pointing at the Rock team.

"Tie them up against a tree. And gag them." Sasuke nodded and got to work as Shikamaru stares at Naruto's wound. The blood was slowly permeating through the bandages like a plague.

"Troublesome." 

XxX

**Well that's chapter 10. I tried to stay original with the exams, but I feel like the first one was kinda lame. Oh well, I like how the second exam is going so far, so it evens out. Next chapter will finish up the Second Exam, and whatever follows that. It's gonna get exciting now. Shoutout to Senjuto, my beta. Hope you enjoyed. Peace.**

**UPDATE: Hey Everyone! I'm terribly sorry for the crappy format. Apparently I can't email chapters from my iPhone. But I got it fixed now. Hopefully this will be avoided in the future. Sorry again, and thanks for being patient! Peace! **


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Death in the Forest

Naruto's eyes blinked open when the sunlight hit them. It couldn't have been later than five in the morning, and Naruto sighed softly before slowly sitting up. Shikamaru and Sasuke were sitting around the map.

"We should try and set up an ambush." Shikamaru stated, and Sasuke nodded in agreement. "I'm not too keen on the idea of getting into another fight. Not with Naruto's condition."

"I'm fine."

The two raven-haired boys turned their heads.

"I highly doubt that." Sasuke said with a shake of his head.

"Seriously I feel fine. A tiny cut like that isn't enough to stop me."

"Your shirt is dyed red from all the blood you lost."

Naruto grimaced and looked down. "I'll be fine."

Shikamaru sighed and turned back to the map. "He's not going to listen to us Sasuke. Better to help him than hold him back." Naruto smiled. "Now, as I was saying, an ambush is the best plan we have. We just need to lure a few teams into our trap."

Naruto cocked his head. "A few?"

Shikamaru nodded. "If we only trap one team, there's a chance they'll have the wrong map piece. We need to increase our odds. Even if we're outnumbered, we can still take them out. This is our ambush, we control the flow of battle."

Sasuke nodded. "We're gonna need more traps."

Shikamaru reached into his pouch and pulled out five exploding tags, some shuriken and kunai, and a reel of steel wire. "I'll leave that to you. You have a better eye than I do." Sasuke nodded and stood up with the tools. As he jumped away, Shikamaru stood and walked over to Naruto. "I'd like to see your wound."

Naruto sighed and stood, removing his shirt as he did so. He cringed at the sight of the blood soaked bandages. "Okay, maybe I lost a lot of blood."

Shikamaru grinned and shook his head. Naruto looked up at the sky as Shikamaru unraveled the bandages, not wanting to look at the wound. As he felt the last bandage fall away, Shikamaru grunted. "That's...odd."

"Does it look bad?" Naruto asked worriedly.

"No it's almost healed completely." Naruto looked down at the injury and his eyes widened. Shikamaru was right, it was only a flesh wound now. Naruto put his shirt down and smiled.

"Cool."

Shikamaru shook his head. "You...are weird."

Naruto gave him a look. "That's all you could come up with?"

Shikamaru sighed. "There just aren't words to describe you."

Naruto beamed. "Thanks!"

The Nara shrugged. "Not how I meant it."

Naruto frowned, but then he smiled again. "You're just mad because you can't figure this out." Shikamaru mumbled under his breath. "What?"

"You're troublesome." Naruto rolled his eyes and snatched the map out of Shikamaru's hand.

"So how are we going to spring this ambush?"

"Well, Sasuke is taking care of the trap, all we need is a way to lure a few teams into it. But you're the perfect person for that." Naruto's brow rose, and then realization struck him.

"Shadow Clones." Shikamaru nodded.

"Exactly. You remember how Sensei told us other teams will go after us first? Well i figure if your Shadow Clones can act convincing, we should have no problem starting a chase." Shikamaru explained.

"What do you mean convincing?" Naruto asked.

"Well most of the Genin are probably expecting us to act like scared children. If your clones can convince them of that, no doubt another team will chase them down in hopes of an easy victory." Naruto nodded.

"That makes sense. Course, They'll realize their mistake when we kick their ass." Shikamaru nodded back.

"And we come out with minimal injury, and possibly a few map fragments. Thin out the competition."

"You're a genius."

Shikamaru laughed. "That's funny coming from you."Naruto joined in on the laughter as Sasuke jumped down from the trees.

"What are you laughing at?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "Nothing. Are we good?"

Sasuke nodded. "I used up most of my tools as well. I don't think anyone will be able to escape this."

Naruto pounded his fist into his hand. "Not if I can help it."

Shikamaru looked up at the sky. "Let's eat a quick breakfast, and then we'll spring this trap." 

XxX

After their meal, Naruto had created nine Shadow Clones, and they grouped up by threes. Two of each group transformed to mimic the other two members of Team 7, and on Naruto's command they scattered. Now Team 7 laid in wait, nervousness and anxiety itching at their minds. This was a real combat situation, and if the situation called for it, they would be forced to kill. None of them relished the idea, but they were ninjas, and damn good ones at that. They would persevere.

They were hidden together in the thick brush of the forest. Shikamaru was calmly staring at the sky, Sasuke was anxiously fingering the kunai in his pouch, and Naruto was grinning in anticipation. Suddenly, Sasuke's head snapped up.

"They're here." Not a moment later did two of the fake Team 7s land in the clearing, followed by two other Genin teams; one from Hidden Grass and one from Hidden Rock. The two teams looked at each other in surprise as both fake teams poofed out of existence.

"Ambush!"

A hail of shuriken flew at them from all directions, and they only barely escaped from instant death by protecting their vitals. Two explosions rocked the forest in quick succession, and the disoriented Genin barely noticed the two giant trees collapsing on them. Not all of them were fast enough, and only three of the enemies, two Grass ninja and one Rock, avoided death. Naruto and Sasuke jumped into action, appearing next to the Rock Genin in the air. They sent him plummeting to the ground, each delivering vicious axe kicks to each shoulder. The two Grass ninja jumped up to attack the Leaf Genin, but a storm of kunai launched at their backs, turning them into pin cushions. One of their bodies turned into a log, signaling the use of a Substitution. Shikamaru stepped out from his spot as the smoke cleared.

"You've lost! Your teammates are dead! Surrender and we'll let you live! I've killed enough today." The Nara gasped when he felt a presence behind him.

"I haven't." The sickeningly sweet voice sent chills up Shikamaru's spine, and he was frozen in place by the sheer amount of killing intent the woman was exuding.

"How?" He was answered with a sharp stab in his back, causing him to cry out in pain. He felt the back of his shirt start to thicken with his blood as he collapsed to his knees.

"Shikamaru!" Sasuke jumped at the woman and sent her flying with a kick to the head. She tumbled across the ground, contorting in an impossible way to recover. The woman charged back in at Sasuke, gliding across the ground, almost like a snake. Her strikes were fast and aggressive, and Sasuke could barely keep up. He activated his Sharingan, causing the woman to smile.

"The Sharingan..." The woman said it quietly, almost longingly. She cackled in glee as the speed of her attacks increased, pressing Sasuke to his limit. Even with the Sharingan he couldn't keep up.

"Shadow Imitation Technique." The woman turned too late as Shikamaru's shadow grabbed hold of her own. Shikamaru grinned as he knelt on the ground, panting heavily. "Success." The woman's eyes narrowed as she strained against the shadow. She then smirked.

"Pity, that won't work on me."

Shikamaru glared at her, then his eyes widened. "What...so...strong..." Sweat dripped down his head as he struggled to keep the technique active, but with a burst of strength she broke the restraint and jumped at Shikamaru, kunai poised to kill.

"Die!" Shikamaru closed his eyes as the woman closed in, until he heard the clash of steel.

"You will not hurt him!" Naruto stood in front of the woman, his kunai keeping hers inches from his chest. He then head-butted her, making her stumble back. He followed up with a boot kick to her chest, sending her crashing into a tree. The woman righted herself easily, as if a child had hit her.

"So you want to play? Then let's play." She suddenly appeared in front of Naruto, ramming her knee into his stomach. Naruto gagged as spit flew from his mouth, then flying through the air into a tree. Sasuke jumped at the woman and rushed her with a flurry of strikes, bur she easily weaved through them. The Uchiha jumped back after the assault, flashing through hand seals and grabbing his wrist.

"Chidori!" The woman's eyes widened and an elated grin spread across her face. She did nothing as Sasuke charged at her, blue lightning carving into the earth. She began to laugh maniacally as Sasuke's hand pierced her heart. When her body turned to mud, Sasuke cursed.

"Sasuke...you are everything I expected you to be. No...you are more than I could have ever hoped for!"

Sasuke's eyes widened when she said his name. "How..." Manic laughter echoed through the forest.

"Oh how I've longed for this day. And it has come much sooner than I anticipated. Itachi may have ruined my plan before, but it was all for naught in the end?" Sasuke took in a sharp breath at the mention of his brother.

"What do you know about Itachi? Where is he?" Sasuke shouted desperately.

"You're mine Sasuke!"The woman sprang up behind Sasuke and sank her fangs into his neck, eliciting a cry of agony from the Uchiha. He collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain and clutching at his neck. The woman cackled as she watched with glee.

"What did you do to him?" She turned to see Naruto charging at her, a Rasengan swirling in his hand. He slammed the ball of chakra in her face, pulverizing the mud clone. He knelt down next to Sasuke and started to shake him.

"Sasuke! Sasuke!" The Uchiha didn't give any sign of acknowledgement, the pain being too great. "Damn it!" The blonde jumped back up and turned around, glaring at the woman. "Tell me what you did to him!"

"I only gave him what he wished for." Naruto's eyes widened. The woman's voice was that of a man's now.

"You...your voice...it...changed."

The woman turned man started to cackle, pulling at his face, ripping the woman's face off to expose the pale face of a man. "Do not worry about Sasuke, Naruto. You will not live long enough to worry." The man appeared behind Naruto, putting his face next to the boy's ear. "I heard that Jiraiya died. It is a shame I was not able to pay my final respects to my teammate." Realization struck Naruto like a sledgehammer, and anger marred hos visage.

"Orochimaru!" Naruto quickly spun around and smashed another Rasengan into Orochimaru's face, once again hitting a mud clone.

"Such mastery of the Rasengan at such a young age. Too bad you don't possess a Kekkei Genkai, for you would be a perfect vessel." Naruto snarled at the Sannin.

"Traitor! I should kill you for what you put Uncle Jiraiya through!" Orochimaru chuckled.

"Yes, that fool was a sucker for sentimentality, always speaking of bonds and friendship. Useless garbage really." Naruto dashed at Orochimaru, coming face to face with him, his eyes blazing red.

"Don't insult him!" The Sannin's eyes widened as Naruto sent him rocketing through a tree with a furious punch. The Sannin flipped in the air, recovering easily.

"Interesting. Come, let me see what you are capable of." Naruto was happy to oblige, suddenly appearing behind his enemy. Orochimaru blocked his kick rather easily, but the force behind it sent him sliding away. "Incredible...the power of the Nine-Tails is brilliant."

With a feral roar, Naruto jumped above Orochimaru and aimed an axe kick at his head, which he caught with a slight wince. Naruto touched the ground for a moment before he appeared inside the Sannin's guard, startling him. With a furious roar, a burst of red chakra exploded outwards from Naruto, sending the Sannin flying through the air. As he recovered, Orochimaru looked at the purple veins that protruded from his flesh. "The toxicity of a Tailed Beast's chakra is incredible to work this fast on me. It seems you have forced me to withdraw. But I will leave you a parting gift."

The Sannin flashed through hand signs, bit his thumb and slammed his hand on the ground. "Summoning Technique!" Naruto growled at the giant, gray summoned snake. "Farewell Naruto."

The Sannin disappeared without a trace, leaving his summon alone with Naruto. The giant snake dove in at Naruto, who barely cleared the lunge. He landed on the snake's head and pummeled it with his fists, sending it crashing to the ground. Angered now, the snake whipped its head around, throwing Naruto off of it and onto the ground. It swung its tail at the boy, aiming to crush his puny body. Naruto recovered quickly and jumped straight at the tail, punching through it in a splash of blood. The snake hissed in pain and lunged at Naruto, who could do nothing to dodge midair. He landed on the Snake's nose, repeatedly stabbing the reptile with a kunai. Blood poured out of the wound and the snake howled in agony, smashing its face into a tree in an attempt to kill Naruto. Naruto barely avoided being squashed, jumping onto the tree as the snake collapsed. He formed a Rasengan in his hand and leapt towards the summon, slamming the technique into its head, caving its skull in. The summon disappeared after that, and Naruto could only smile before collapsing. 

XxX

Shikamaru decided that this exam was by far the most troublesome thing he had ever dealt with. So far he found Naruto on the verge of death, ran into an S-Class criminal with a grudge against the Leaf, and now he was forced to look after his teammates in their unconscious states after their miraculous survival in the encounter against said S-Class criminal.

"Troublesome."

Not that he minded watching his teammates, but quite frankly he didn't know what the hell to do. Sasuke had broken out in fever, and his breathing was ragged. He was shivering despite the jacket draped across him, and Shikamaru was truly worried.

Naruto on the other hand was suffering from severe chakra exhaustion. It was a wonder he was alive really, but Shikamaru stopped letting Naruto surprise him. The kid was an anomaly.

Besides that, Shikamaru had his own injury to deal with. The stab wound from Orochimaru was painful, and had it been a few inches to the right, it could have punctured his lung. It was a pain in the ass to wrap too.

"Ngh..." Shikamaru's eyes widened as Naruto's eyes opened. "Where..."

"Easy Naruto." The blonde turned his head towards the Nara, who was sitting against a trunk. "I found us some decent cover. We should be okay here." Naruto nodded and pushed himself up. "Should you be getting up?"

"Don't really have a choice." He replied with a grunt, earning a sigh from Shikamaru. "We need...to get the scroll."

Shikamaru pulled out two maps from his pocket. "Well, one of those Genin from Hidden Rock had the map we needed. But there's one problem." The Nara handed the fragments to Naruto. "It doesn't show where the hell we need to go."

Naruto examined the maps, noting that there were no points of interest marked off. He flipped each of them over, and a smile grazed his face.

"It's a seal." Naruto laid the map pieces side by side and channeled his chakra into the seal. The map stitched itself together, and Naruto flipped it over, examining it with a grin. "And there's your scroll." Naruto handed the map to Shikamaru, and sure enough the Nara heir spotted the red 'X' on the map.

"Huh. Clever."

Naruto stood up with a groan and cracked his back. "How is he?" The blonde asked, shooting a worried glance at Sasuke.

"I...don't know. Orochimaru did something to him...he has a fever, and he hasn't stopped sweating. I think it has something to do with that mark on his neck." Naruto's brows furrowed.

"What mark?" Shikamaru simply pointed at the Uchiha's neck, and Naruto knelt down next to him. Naruto rolled Sasuke's head over, and his eyes widened. "That looks like a seal too..."

Shikamaru's brow rose. "Why can you identify a seal so easily."

Naruto shrugged. "My Uncle was a seal master, and my father was the most powerful seal master in the world in his time. I've read my dad's book on Fuinjutsu about a hundred and twelve times." Shikamaru's eyes widened in disbelief, and Naruto rolled his eyes. "What, I can't read too?" Shikamaru deadpanned, and Naruto sighed. "Yea I don't like o read that much…but my dad wrote it, so I'll read it as many times as I can." Naruto unzipped his weapons pouch and pulled out a small book. "I always keep it on me. Either this or _The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja, _my Uncle's book." He tossed the book to Shikamaru.

"Why are you giving this to me?" He asked in a curious manner. The blonde grinned.

"I want you to read it obviously. I think you'll find it…intriguing." Shikamaru shrugged and put the book away and Naruto stood. "Give me the map."

Shikamaru stood and eyed him suspiciously. "Why?"

"I'm going to get the scroll." Shikamaru's eyes widened.

"You're not-"

"We don't really have a choice. Someone has to stay with Sasuke, and I know you would rather do that than navigate this 'troublesome' forest by yourself."

Shikamaru sighed. "But-"

"I didn't beat Orochimaru to fail this exam Shikamaru. I'm going."

Shikamaru shook his head and handed him the map. "I don't think you beat him..."

"We're alive aren't we?"

Shikamaru smiled. "Yea we are."

Naruto nodded. "Don't worry. I'll be back by tomorrow." With that, Naruto jumped out of the underbrush, venturing into the forest alone. 

XxX

Naruto crouched behind a fallen tree, peeking over it at the battle that unfolded before him. He cursed his luck; the battle was taking place right where the scroll was hidden. But that wasn't all. The team from Hidden Sand, the one with the young red head, was one of the teams in front of him. Naruto could feel his bloodlust from here. He watched as the other team of Genin, a team from the Hidden Leaf, launched everything in their arsenal at the Sand team. Sand rushed out of the gourd on the red head's back and formed a wall in front of the Sand team, fully protecting him.

"Damn it! Why can't we hit him?" One of the Leaf Genin shouted in frustration. Each of them were panting heavily, clearly at their limits. Suddenly, three tendrils of sand shot out at the Leaf Genin and wrapped around their necks.

"Mother will have your blood." The Genin uselessly struggled against the sand, their bodies being entombed by sand.

"Sand Coffin." The grains of sand felt like thousands of tiny ants slowly devouring their bodies as the helplessly struggled against the instrument of their death. Their fearful cries were drowned out as they were completely encased in the sand. The red head held his hand out.

"Sand Burial." The boy closed his hand into a fist, and the sand compressed, pulverizing the Leaf ninja, shooting their blood everywhere. "Mother wants more. More blood." The boy turned towards Naruto's hiding spot and shot a tendril of sand at the blonde. He barely dodged it, jumping into the clearing.

"You murdered them." He stated calmly.

"You..." The red head donned a maniacal grin. "Yes, mother craves your blood. I will kill you!" Naruto jumped over another sand tendril, and he created a few Shadow Clones.

"Why? Why are you doing this?"

The red head cackled. "Because mother commands me to! She must have the blood of the Nine-Tails!" Naruto's eyes widened. "I am Gaara of the Sand, Jinchuriki of the One-Tail Shukaku. Die Nine-Tails!"

Naruto sent his Shadow Clones at Gaara, too shocked to do anything else. This boy was just like him, but he was so different. His eyes were empty, but Naruto could tell they were hiding so much pain.

"Stop this!" The blonde shouted as one of his Shadow Clones was speared by a sand tendril. "I don't want to fight you!"

"Then die for me!" The rest of the clones were killed, and a wave of sand rushed at Naruto. He jumped up as it crashed under him, creating a horde of clones. The army of clones rushed at Gaara, and Naruto jumped into the trees, hoping his clones would buy him enough time. When the last clone died, Gaara gazed at the empty clearing blankly. "Soon, Nine-Tails." 

XxX

Naruto sighed in relief as he leaned against a tree. He had gotten away safely, and he had recovered the scroll as well. He felt conflicted. He wanted to help Gaara, to give the boy some kind of kindness. Clearly no one else was. Even his teammates watched him with nothing but fear in their eyes. It was a reality check for Naruto. One question kept floating through his mind: what if he turned out like that? He knew Gaara's life had to have been terrible.

With a sad sigh and a silent promise, he was off into the trees again. It would be a few more hours until he returned to camp. But he was fueled by determination.

_'I will help you Gaara_.' 

XxX

Sasuke groaned as he sat up, the world spinning as he did. Shikamaru immediately perked up and rushed to his friend's side.

"Sasuke! Are you-"Sasuke leaned over, and Shikamaru barely avoided his teammate's vomit"-uhm...you good?"

"Water." Sasuke rasped quietly. Shikamaru grabbed his canteen and thrust it in into Sasuke's hand, who gulped it down quickly.

"How do you feel?" Sasuke wiped his mouth and sighed.

"My head is pounding and my neck is on fire. What...happened?" Shikamaru just sat back.

"We fought someone who is way stronger than us." Sasuke stared at him blankly, forcing him to elaborate. "Orochimaru attacked us."

"As in the S-class missing ninja?" Shikamaru nodded. "And we're alive?"

"You can thank Naruto for that."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "He took on Orochimaru?"

"Sounds dumb right? But this is Naruto we're talking about."

"Hey I resent that." Sasuke and Shikamaru's heads snapped sideways to see Naruto grinning with a scroll in his hand.

"Is that..." Sasuke trailed off, pointing at the scroll.

"Yea. Just went and got it." Naruto replied tiredly. "Ran into some trouble too. That red haired kid."

Shikamaru perked up. "The one our age?" Naruto nodded. "Is he strong?"

Naruto looked down at the ground. "Very strong. He's...he's just like me."

Shikamaru cocked his head, but Sasuke's eyes widened.

"You mean..." Sasuke whispered in shock. Naruto only nodded, and Shikamaru sighed.

"Do you mean he's a...Jinchuriki?" The Nara asked, hoping that Naruto meant something else. But Naruto's lack of response told him all he needed. "How troublesome. Well, it's late. Tomorrow morning when it's still dark we'll leave for the tower. That'll give Sasuke some time to recover and me some time to sleep." Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Thanks…I think." Shikamaru gave him a lazy grin and Naruto sat down.

Shikamaru nodded. "Good. Well, I'm going to bed. Naruto you take first watch. Wake me in four, no, five hours." Naruto waved him off and Shikamaru laid down, falling asleep instantly. Sasuke shook his head.

"I kind envy him for being able to do that." Naruto laughed and nodded.

"Yea…Hey Sasuke, can I ask you something?" The Uchiha nodded. Naruto took a deep breath. "Do you know anyone with one Sharingan eye…besides Kakashi that is?" Sasuke eyed him curiously.

"No, I can't think of anyone else. But all of the Uchiha are dead remember?" Naruto shook his head.

"I know that. It's just…ok this is highly classified information. Not that I don't trust you, but you get what I mean." Sasuke's brow rose. "The night of the Nine-Tails attack was the night of my birth. During my birth, a man with a single Sharingan eye attacked my parents. He killed my mother and unleashed the Nine-Tails on the village, forcing my dad to sacrifice himself." Sasuke's eyes were wide at Naruto's tale.

"There was someone behind the Nine-Tails attack?" Naruto nodded. "How powerful do you have to be to control the Nine-Tails…"

"As powerful as Madara Uchiha." Sasuke froze at that. Madara Uchiha was a legend in the Uchiha Clan, and if his father's stories were anything to go by, the strongest Uchiha to have ever lived.

"Do you think that's who it was?" Sasuke asked. Naruto sighed.

"I don't know…he's supposed to have died a long time ago. So how could it have been him? History says that he died at the Valley of the End at the hands of the First Hokage." Naruto stated.

"History also says the Nine-Tails attack was a natural disaster. I guess we can't believe everything from The Academy textbooks." Sasuke replied in exasperation. "This is beyond our ability Naruto. How are we even going to find a man who is strong enough to fight with your dad and control the Nine-Tails? He's probably a ghost." Naruto's fist clenched.

"You're right. But that won't stop me. It's his fault that my parents are dead, his fault that hundreds of Leaf ninja and civilians alike died that day. So, for the sake of the village, and my parents, I will find him." Sasuke nodded at his friend's determination.

"I'll be there. I can't let someone desecrate the Sharingan like that." Naruto smiled and Sasuke turned his head to Shikamaru's sleeping form. "I'm sure he'll be there too. Either that or watching the clouds." Naruto nodded at the Uchiha.

"Yea. I wouldn't go anywhere without you guys."

"Trust me, we know Naruto."

"Have you been awake this whole time?"

XxX

Team 7's morning trek to the tower was thankfully uneventful. They arrived as the sun was breaking over the horizon, immediately rushing past the Chuunin proctor straight to Guy.

"Ah Naruto! What can I do for you?"

Naruto took a deep breath. "I need you to get my sensei and the Hokage. It's uh...really important."

Guy quirked his gigantic brow as he studied the three boys' appearances. They were caked in mud and there were various bloodstains on their clothes. Sasuke seemed like he would collapse any second.

"What happened to you three?"

"Please...just get the Hokage. I'll explain everything."

Guy's enormous brows furrowed, but he snapped his fingers and an ANBU appeared behind him. "Please get Lord Hokage and Kakashi Hatake. It is urgent." Guy commanded, earning a quick salute before the black clad ninja disappeared. About a minute later, the Hokage and Kakashi appeared behind Guy.

"You summoned me Guy?" The Hokage asked.

"Yes, these children asked me to."

The Hokage examined the three boys, noting their conditions. "Are you three alright?"

Naruto shrugged. "Somehow. We ran into your old student."

Hiruzen's eyes widened. "You can't be serious."

Naruto grabbed Sasuke and exposed his neck, showing the mark left by Orochimaru. "What is that?" Naruto asked, pointing at the mark.

"The Curse Seal...he really was here." Hiruzen removed his hat and ran an old hand through his white hair. "ANBU!" Immediately six ANBU appeared by his side. "Mobilize teams Alpha, Gamma, Theta, Delta and Epsilon. Orochimaru has been spotted in the village. He must be captured before he harms anymore competitors." The ANBU agents stiffened at the mention of the Snake Sannin. "This information is not to be made public. Go!"

The ANBU scattered at the command, and Hiruzen turned to Team 7. "You boys have done a great service. Orochimaru is not a man to be taken lightly, and yet three Genin were able to fend him off. I suggest you take a long rest; you earned it." Then he turned to Kakashi. "Will you take care of Sasuke?"

Kakashi nodded. "I'll get started with the sealing array right away."

Hiruzen nodded. "Then I leave it in your hands. I have much to prepare for...damn you Orochimaru."

Hiruzen disappeared in an instant, leaving the tired Genin with their sensei. "Come Sasuke, we must do something about the Curse Seal right away. Naruto, Shikamaru, I'm proud of you; all of you. I'm not sure that I could handle Orochimaru on my best day." He smiled and patted his students' heads. "Go rest."

He turned around and headed for the exit, Sasuke following close behind. Naruto and Shikamaru both watched with worry etched on their faces, but they could do nothing, and they resigned to let Guy lead them to a room. 

XxX

A/N: Well, that took longer than expected. I've been lazy, but have no fear, the updates will still come. As you can see, the story is finally starting to really pick up. Next chapter will end the second exam, and then things will go from there. I've already started planning the next arc which will really focus on the politics and corruption inside the village, the 'roots' if you will. Wink wink nudge nudge. Get it?

Well I hope you enjoyed. Peace!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Turning of the Leaf

"Are these the only teams that made it?" Naruto asked as he looked around. Team 7 was one of the only three teams that had passed the second exam, the other two being teams from Hidden Mist, and as Naruto expected, Gaara's team. The nine Genin stood in a grand hall in front of the Hokage.

"Looks that way," Shikamaru replied. "These exams are brutal."

Sasuke looked down, his hand going to his neck. Kakashi had sealed off the Curse Seal yesterday, but he told Sasuke that the seal was only as strong as the person's will. He would have to fight the Curse Seal every second of his life. Hiruzen stepped forward and cleared his throat.

"Only three teams...well that makes this a little easier. First, I would like to congratulate you on passing the second exam. As you can see, it was not an easy exam. But you have overcome these trials, and each of you is one step closer to Chuunin." The Hokage motioned a Leaf Jonin over. The Leaf ninja stepped next to the Hokage and cleared his throat.

"I am Tenzo, proctor of the third exam." He stepped forward. "The third exam is an individual exam, so your teammates may very well be your enemies." Naruto glanced at his teammates, who did the same. He grinned and they smiled back. Nothing separated Team 7. "The exam will be a tournament of one-on-one battles. Since we have an odd number of participants, one of you will be seeded."

Guy, who had been standing next to Tenzo with a white box in his hand, stepped forward. "As Guy comes to you, please take a number out of the box. This is how we will determine the seeds."

Guy walked up to each Genin, holding out the box for them to pick. Once all nine had picked, he retreated behind Tenzo.

"Please call out your number as I go down the line." Tenzo ordered. He went down the line, writing down their names in their seeds. At the end, the bracket looked like:

Temari vs. Shikamaru Nara

Sasuke Uchiha vs. Nanami

Gaara vs. Daishi

Naruto Namikaze vs. Kankuro

Bye: Furen

"I have to go first? Just my luck." Shikamaru sighed in defeat.

"You better not lose. I expect to see you in the next round." Sasuke said, earning another groan from the Nara.

"I'll have to fight Gaara in the second round." Naruto said seriously, glancing at the red head.

"If you make it that is," Sasuke quipped lightheartedly.

"You don't have to worry about that. I'm going to the finals!" Naruto stated with a grin. "And I better see one of you there." Sasuke and Shikamaru looked at each other and nodded. Tenzo cleared his throat, regaining the attention of the Genin.

"The third exam will be held in one month, in the Leaf Village Coliseum. These contests are more than just a chance at a promotion; they are a show of your Hidden Village's strength. Many important dignitaries and foreign diplomats will be in attendance, studying the contestants and measuring your strengths. During this month, it would be wise to train extensively, if only to bolster the reputation of your village. The teams from Hidden Mist and Hidden Sand will be assigned training grounds if you so desire. You are dismissed."

The foreign teams retreated back to their Jonin-sensei; the Jonin from Sand was a red headed man in the typical garb of the Sand puppeteer. But he was one of the most famous puppeteers in history, being the grandson of and trained by the Honored Lady Chiyo. He was Sasori of the Red Sand, leader of the Puppet Brigade and next in line to be Kazekage.

The sensei of the team from Hidden Mist was even more famous than Sasori, as impossible as that seemed. But Zabuza Momochi was a name revered in the Mist and feared by the rest. He was the leader of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and personal bodyguard of the Fourth Mizukage. It seemed that both villages wanted to make a statement. That…or something else was going on.

Kakashi put it out of his head for now as he approached the Hokage and Naruto, who seemed to be arguing like father and son.

"...must protest that you compete in these exams." Kakashi heard the Hokage say as he approached.

"What!" Naruto's loud response came as predicted. "I'm not gonna give up because some stupid snake has a thing for little boys!"

Hiruzen looked around, noting the confused expressions on people's face. "Please Naruto, keep your voice down. This is extremely sensitive information." Naruto's eyes widened before he chuckled and scratched his head in embarrassment. "I understand how much you want to compete, but it's extremely dangerous. We don't know what my old student is planning, but whatever it is it revolves around your teammate, and you two by extension." The old Hokage explained, motioning at Naruto and Shikamaru. "Understand Naruto, I only say this because I worry about you. I could never look myself in the face again if I failed Minato's final request." Naruto looked down at the ground.

"It doesn't matter. My father gave me the power to defend the village. I will not back down, especially not from a traitor who would do anything to see the village-my village-in ashes. I'm not scared of him; I've already fought him once." Naruto looked up to Hiruzen, his eyes blazing with tenacity. Hiruzen met his gaze with equal spirit, and after a moment he sighed in defeat.

"You have the same look as your father. Whenever he looked at me like that...I knew I could trust him. And he always came through. I expect no less of you."

Naruto broke out into a grin. "You got it old man! I mean, Lord Hokage!" Naruto saluted his leader, and Hiruzen chuckled.

"Very well. Kakashi, I expect them to be more than ready for the exams."

"Of course Lord Hokage. They'll be Chuunin before you know it." Hiruzen nodded, and turned to start walking away.

"Wait!" Hiruzen turned at Naruto's call. "I'd like to talk to you about something...in private." Hiruzen looked at the boy curiously, but he walked up to Naruto and put a hand on his shoulder. Seconds later, they were in Hiruzen's office.

"You father added his seals into the office, as well as all around the village. He truly was a genius." Hiruzen sat in his chair and pulled out his pipe. "Have you ever smoked Naruto?"

Naruto's eyes widened. "I'm eight." He responded, staring at the Hokage in shock.

Hiruzen chuckled, "Old enough to kill old enough to smoke."

"Uncle Jiraiya always said drink."

Hiruzen shrugged, "To each his own. Despite what you may have heard, there is nothing unhealthy about cannabis."

Naruto cocked his head, "Cannabis?"

"Marijuana."

Naruto nodded, and then his eyes widened, "Isn't that illegal?"

Hiruzen shrugged, "If it were my choice it wouldn't be, but the Daimyo is too conservative. But we are ninja, and everything we do is in the shadows. Why so you think these operations haven't been stopped? Surely even a single ninja could stop a few normal civilians eh?"

Naruto gasped, "Wait we allow illegal things to happen?"

Hiruzen stroked his beard and took a puff of his pipe. "Let me explain something to you Naruto. The Hidden Villages across the continent, ours especially, thrive on their independence. While we ultimately answer to the Daimyo, he doesn't actually look into our affairs unless it's of international importance. Do you understand so far?" Naruto nodded. "Well, things like cannabis, which in the opinions of the populace are wrongly prohibited, can be useful. For one, cannabis is an extremely effective medicine, and it can treat many conditions from minor pain to extreme disorders, like glaucoma or multiple sclerosis. It's also the best stress reliever you can find on this planet. Many ninja like to unwind after a tough mission with a nice relaxing smoke session. I'm sure Kakashi does."

"Really?"

Hiruzen nodded. "Certainly. The majority of my ninja do." Naruto nodded as Hiruzen continued, "Now, that's not to say the drug dealers have free reign. Other narcotics are still illegal, and we regulate all of the dangerous ones, but harmless things like Cannabis are looked over, because there are much more important things we could be stopping. It's a sort of symbiotic relationship."

Naruto stared wide eyed at Hiruzen. "That's..." The boy paused.

"A lot to take in?" Hiruzen answered with a chuckle. "I know it is, but understand that I tell you this for a reason. After all, a Hokage must know every aspect of his village."

Naruto beamed at the man."Yes sir!"

Hiruzen smiled warmly. "Now what did you want to tell me?"

Naruto's smile faded a bit. "Back in the forest...when I fought Orochimaru...I think I used the fox's power."

Hiruzen almost dropped his pipe. He gathered himself and put his pipe on the table. "I see. Well I'm glad you told me. Did you lose control?"

Naruto shook his head. "No...I just got angry, and I felt much more powerful. That's how I was able to fend off Orochimaru."

Hiruzen nodded. "Yes that would make sense. Do you remember when it happened before?" Naruto looked down.

"Not really…of course I remember what happened after, but the only thing I remember before that is red…" Hiruzen studied the boy and absently chewed on his pipe in contemplation. Finally, he set it down and sighed.

"I'll be honest with you Naruto, I don't know what this means. Your father developed this seal himself, and you can bet that means no one else alive will understand it. Even I have trouble making sense of everything. But, from what Jiraiya told me, your father designed the seal so that your chakra would absorb the Nine-Tail's chakra over time. Maybe this is the start of that process. For now, you shouldn't worry about it." Hiruzen explained.

"But what if something happens?" Naruto looked down at the ground and started shaking. "Back in the forest I was aware of what I was doing…but I couldn't control it. All I could focus on was beating Orochimaru's face into a pancake." He looked up suddenly. "I don't wanna hurt anyone again! Not like Uncle Jiraiya!" Hiruzen knelt down in front of the boy.

"Naruto, do not blame yourself for that. No four year old could control the Nine-Tail's power. The Nine-Tails is full of hatred and anger, but if you fight against it with love and hope, and you never give up, then you will never lose." Naruto sniffled and nodded. "Your father sealed the Nine-Tails in you for a reason. Speaking of which, Kakashi tells me you are aware of? And for quite some time now." Naruto nodded.

"Yea, I read it a week after Uncle Jiraiya died. He left me a box with everything in it and a note. I went to Kakashi right after and asked him if it was him because he has one Sharingan…I think he was really surprised to hear something like that from a four year old." Hiruzen nodded.

"Well it is quite shocking. When Jiraiya told me I was at a loss for words. To think that someone out there has not only mastered a stolen Sharingan, but is able to fight on the same ground as your dad is frightening." The old Hokage took a puff of his pipe. "But now it is your job to one day find this man and bring him to justice. Your father believed in you, and Jiraiya did as well. I believe you can carry on both of their legacies.

Naruto stared at Hiruzen with shocked eyes. "You really believe I can do that? That I can succeed in Uncle Jiraiya's ambition? And that I can become a better Hokage than my father?"

Hiruzen looked at the picture on his wall of him and his old Genin team. "You have the same spirit that Jiraiya did. And you have the same mind as your father did. With a combination like that, I believe you can do anything."

Naruto just stood in disbelief. "I...don't know what to say."

Hiruzen just smiled. "I only say what I believe to be true. Do not dwell on it, but know that I will always be behind you."

Naruto nodded. "Thank you gramps."

"Any time." 

XxX

"Naruto!"

Naruto whipped his head around at the sound of his name being shouted from behind him. "Kairi?"

The black haired girl ran up to him and hugged him. "I haven't seen you in a while!"

Naruto chuckled. "Yea, I didn't even see you in the exams. How did you do?"

Kairi looked down. "We made it to the second part...but one of my teammates got hurt really bad...we had to leave so he would survive."

"I'm sorry."

Kairi sighed and looked up. "It's okay. He's better now. And we're gonna try harder next time."

Naruto nodded. "I hope you pass."

She smiled. "So I heard your team is in the finals."

Naruto scratched his head. "Yea. We're training really hard. Sensei is really running us into the ground."

Kairi fell into step alongside Naruto. "You're so lucky, to be trained by Kakashi the Copy Ninja. My sensei says that Kakashi's skill during battle is unreal."

Naruto nodded. "I've never seen him in a life or death situation, but in our spars sometimes we can't even land a hit."

Kairi shook her head. "You know your team is the only team of Genin that could actually lay a hand on the famous Copy Ninja right?"

Naruto chuckled. "When you put it that way..."

"You don't know how famous your team is do you?" Naruto shook his head. "Everyone is talking about Team 7, the team of young prodigies. You're the favorite to win; people think you can even beat the Kazekage's children."

Naruto cocked his head, and then he stopped in his tracks with wide eyes. "Gaara is the Kazekage's son?!"

Kairi nodded. "Yea, everyone has been talking about it. Some people say it's a threat to the Leaf, having the Kazekage send his own children, but I don't know about that."

Naruto was just shocked. 'Gaara and I are so similar...why is he so different from me?'

"Are you okay Naruto?"

Naruto sighed. "I'm fine. It's nothing. Listen, I have to go meet up with my team, but we should hang out really soon. After the exams."

Kairi smiled warmly. "I'll hold you to that."

Naruto grinned and hopped up to the roofs, more determined to get stronger than ever. 

XxX

"Somehow, I knew I'd find you here."

Kakashi turned around. "You were looking for me, Lord Hokage?"

Hiruzen stepped forward next to Kakashi and gazed at the memorial stone. "So many men and woman I once knew have been immortalized on this stone. It doesn't really do them justice, but it is all we can do to honor them."

Kakashi turned back around. "Yea..."

"Your dedication to your teammates is astounding Kakashi." Hiruzen stated.

"Without them...without Obito...I wouldn't be here. I owe them my life. So I try to tell them as much as I can, so they know their sacrifices weren't in vain."

Hiruzen nodded. "Minato always said that day changed you. He felt responsible for Obito's death as much as you did. It was one of the few things he felt he truly failed at."

Kakashi shook his head. "He was good at hiding it, but I could tell Sensei felt responsible. I wanted to say something, but I just couldn't. Our team fell apart after that. Rin was quieter than usual, I was drowning in self-loathing, and Sensei was so busy with the war and being named your successor, he just didn't have the time. He tried when he could...but then Rin died on that mission. After that, I dedicated myself to ANBU, and my relationship with Sensei became purely professional. Every time I stood before him, he stared into my mask with such regret it was almost painful. I wanted to tell him it wasn't his fault, but I just couldn't." Kakashi finished in a whisper, and Hiruzen put a hand on his shoulder.

"Minato was always proud of you, no matter how responsible he felt. You were the Captain of his ANBU after all. He knew that was the only way he could keep you close to him."

Kakashi looked up at the sky. "I was just stubborn."

Hiruzen chuckled. "You must have gotten that from your father. He was as thickheaded as they come."

Kakashi turned his head to Hiruzen. "Did you know my father well?"

Hiruzen nodded. "Yes, since he was just a boy. He and Jiraiya were the best of friends. I think that's why Sakumo was always able to stay on par with my students. He wouldn't let Jiraiya beat him at anything."

Kakashi's eye widened. "My father and Lord Jiraiya were best friends?"

At this, Hiruzen guffawed. "Oh yes, those two were quite the pair. That damn brat shaved my head once."

"My father shaved your head?"

"Yes. For over a month they called me the bald Hokage."

Kakashi stifled his laughter. "I can't believe my father was so...mischievous. I only remember the serious, compassionate side of him."

"When he reached Jonin he mellowed out. I think it was your mother. He loved her dearly." Kakashi nodded.

"Yea, I always remember them together. My father would hold her hand or stroke her face, and she would always smile at him. They never fought either. Not once."

Hiruzen turned around, facing away from the stone. "Your father was a great ninja. I even considered naming him as my successor at one point. I believe he would have made an amazing Hokage. He truly loved everyone in this village. His Will of Fire burned hot, and I see the same in you." Hiruzen pulled a scroll out of his sleeve and handed it to Kakashi. "What you will read in there will shock you I'm sure, but I believe it's the right choice. Lately I've begun to uncover things, things that make precautions like this necessary. Hopefully we can rip up that scroll, but please keep that in a safe place; for the good of the village."

Hiruzen started to walk away then, and he disappeared when he reached the clearing. Kakashi looked down at the scroll in confusion. He unraveled it, and scanned its contents with one eye, before dropping it in shock.

"Lord Hokage..." 

XxX

"Surprise!" Kakashi threw a kunai as soon as he heard the shout. There was a yelp and a thud, and he stared at the fallen Naruto.

"What the hell are you doing in my apartment?" Naruto sat up and rubbed his head.

"You don't even care that you almost killed me?" Kakashi continued to stare at him. "Jerk. Well, with the exams and everything, we've been really busy. And your birthday was the week we were in the Forest of Death." Kakashi's eye widened.

"Naruto..." At that moment, Sasuke and Shikamaru walked out of the kitchen, holding a tray with Kakashi's favorite dish: salt-broiled saury and a bowl of miso soup. "Guys...you didn't have to do that." They all shrugged.

"So? You're our sensei; we wanted to do this." Naruto replied.

"Plus, we wanted a chance to see you without your mask." Shikamaru added hopefully.

Kakashi looked at the three of them, sighed, and collapsed onto his couch. "You three...thank you."

Naruto beamed. "That's not all Sensei. We got a present for you too!"

Kakashi groaned. "Guys, I appreciate it really, but-"

Naruto shoved a wooden box into his hands, about two feet long. "For your own benefit Sensei, shut up. I guarantee you'll love this." Naruto insisted, stepping away eagerly.

Kakashi met the excited gazes of each of his students, before sighing again and lifting the lid. He looked in, and his eye bulged in astonishment. "This...what is this?" He looked up at his wall, where the replica was perched perfectly on the wall.

"That's a replica." Naruto said, motioning at the fake. "It's a long story. But our first mission, the mission to Chakramantine town, was for this specifically."

Kakashi just stared. "I don't...this is..." He looked helplessly between his students. Finally, he pulled his mask down and smiled. "Thank you." Naruto, Sasuke and Shikamaru stared at Kakashi's face in awe. Then Naruto touched his face, making Kakashi swat him away. "What are you doing?"

"I just had to make sure it was real." Kakashi rolled his eye.

"What? Wasn't it you who taught us to look underneath the underneath?"

Kakashi seemed taken aback. "I guess I did. I didn't realize you actually listened."

Naruto scoffed. "C'mon, you don't think that little of me do you?" Shikamaru cleared his throat, and Naruto launched a peanut at him, courtesy of the bowl on Kakashi's coffee table. "No one asked you Nara." The Nara shrugged.

"Well I can't believe you guys did this. It's amazing. I never fixed it myself because of what it represented, but I'm glad you guys did." His students just smiled. After that, he dug into his favorite meal, wondering which of his students had made it.

"That would be me." Sasuke answered when Kakashi voiced his question. "My mom taught me how to cook."

"That's quite surprising Sasuke. Have you ever considered becoming a ninja chef?" Kakashi asked with a grin. Naruto and Shikamaru broke into laughter, while Sasuke grumbled something about Kakashi Filet. About two hours passed before the Genin of Team 7 decided to leave. Kakashi was surprised at how fast time had flown by, and he was sure this was the longest anyone had been in his apartment, besides perhaps his sensei. As he closed the door behind his charges, a smile couldn't help but bubble up onto his face. 

XxX

"Right this way, Lord Danzo." A black clad, masked ninja led an older man through a dimly lit hall. The older man walked with a cane, and half of his face and most of his body were covered in bandages. He reeked of professionalism, and his mind had been molded and hardened by many years of service to the Leaf. He was a military extremist to the extreme, believing that war paved the way to peace and prosperity. His name was Danzo Shimura, and he was a man that lived in the shadows and struck from the darkness. He did the dirtiest work in the Leaf Village, and no one, not even the Hokage, had access to his files. His organization, named Root, was an extremely well-kept secret, and although the Hokage was aware of its existence, Danzo was so good at covering his own tracks, that Hiruzen didn't have a chance at finding proof. After all, deception was Danzo's specialty.

"He's in here Lord Danzo."

Danzo walked into the room, his lackey staying outside. When he walked in, there was a hooded man standing in the center.

"So he's sent you this time had he? He must be getting serious." Danzo stated, standing across from the man.

"Well, as you may imagine, Lord Orochimaru is quite eager to get his revenge." The hooded man dropped his disguise, revealing the face of a young, silver haired man.

"I'm sure he is Kabuto. But does he truly believe he can defeat Hiruzen? He may be old, but even I would think twice before challenging my old friend to a fight."

Kabuto scoffed. "Lord Orochimaru is not to be taken lightly Danzo. As long as you follow through with your end of the deal, our invasion will be successful."

Danzo grunted. "Overconfidence will lead to your downfall."

"And underestimation will lead to yours."

Danzo's eyes narrowed. "Watch yourself snake. Remember where you are."

Kabuto held his hands up in defense with a grin. "My apologies. I'll be more respectful in your territory." Kabuto walked forward. "But you can rest assured, that by the end of the exams, the Leaf Village will be in ruins."

"And I will rebuild it, gaining the favor of everyone in the village." Danzo finished almost eagerly.

"Yea, Lord Orochimaru is quite pleased with the change of leadership. In fact, I'm sure he wouldn't be adverse to...future dealings." Kabuto stated.

"We'll see about that. First, I must see if you are a trustworthy ally." Danzo replied.

"Of course. We wish to do the same."

Danzo nodded. "The plans will be finalized within the week. I will have one of my agents contact you when they are ready." Danzo turned and exited the room, not bothering to hear a reply. "Soon...soon I will bring about the Leaf's Golden Age. Sorry my old friend, but your ideals have crippled us, and I intend to fix that." 

XxX

Naruto, Sasuke, and Shikamaru stared in awe at the enormous crowd seated all around them.

"All of these people are here to watch us?" Naruto asked to no one in particular.

Shikamaru scoffed. "Since when have ninja battles become spectacles?" He asked with a shake of his head. "These people don't get it do they?"

"They're all ignorant rich people Shikamaru. What do you expect?" Sasuke asked with a grin.

"Who cares about them?" Naruto asked, stretching his legs. "They don't have anything to do with this." He looked over at Gaara. "All that matters now is Chuunin."

Tenzo stepped into the center of the arena and held a hand up, silencing the crowd. "Ladies and Gentlemen! I am Tenzo, proctor of the third exams! I would like to welcome you all to the final stage of the Chuunin Exams!" The crowd met him with a roar of applause, and the Genin of Team 7 smirked. This was their time. 

XxX

**A/N: There it is. Lots of behind the scene stuff in this chapter. I hope a few of you can figure it out now, but I think I did a good job of not making anything too obvious. Anyway if you have any questions, by all means ask, and I will answer as long as it's not a huge spoiler. Shoutout to my beta Senjuto. Hope you all enjoyed. Peace!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The Burning Leaf

The Hidden Leaf Coliseum was packed full of excited patrons eager to see some action. To the general public, a ninja fight was a sort of spectacle. The flashy techniques awed children and adults alike, and many gamblers were drawn to the intense battles to maybe make some money. Even nobles attended these exams, to study which villages were the strongest, and which would give the best business.

The Hokage oversaw it all from his special suite high above the stadium. Since three villages had teams in the finals, a rare feat indeed, three kages were in attendance. There was of course Hiruzen Sarutobi, Third Hokage of the Leaf, the Fourth Kazekage of the Sand, and Yagura, Fourth Mizukage of the Mist. Each kage had two guards flanking them, and there were plenty of ANBU hidden close to the Hokage. Behind the Kazekage were Sasori of the Red Sand, and Baki the Silent Blade. Behind the Mizukage were Zabuza and Kisame Hoshigaki, another member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

Down on the field, Tenzo had just explained the rules.

"All combatants not participating in this fight should report to the viewing box." Tenzo ordered, pointing at a room-sized cut out in the stone wall. Naruto noticed a doorway under it, and he walked towards it, with the rest following him. When they got into the room, Naruto immediately went to the guard rail to have a good view of the fight. Sasuke leaned against the rail next to him.

"You think he'll win?" The Uchiha asked.

"I dunno. That girl is the daughter of the Kazekage. I would expect her to be strong. We don't know how she fights, although that giant fan on her back kinda gives it away." Sasuke nodded.

"He probably already has a plan."

Naruto grinned at that, "Of course he does." 

XxX

As Shikamaru approached the center of the field, he lazily analyzed his opponent.

'_The giant battle fan tells me she's a long range wind user. Talk about a mismatch. Sometimes, I wish I was still in that damn classroom.' _As they met in the center, he noticed that she seemed confident.

"Alright pipsqueak, let's get this over with already." Shikamaru's eyebrow rose. Extremely confident, apparently.

"You shouldn't underestimate your opponent." Temari gave the boy an odd look before bursting out laughing.

"Are you giving me advice? How old are you? Eight? Why should I listen to you?" Shikamaru glanced up to the viewbox.

"Huh, that's funny. You seem to take orders from him just fine." Behind Shikamaru's stoic façade, he was laughing in his head. Temari's eyes narrowed and she snatched her fan off of her back and slammed it on the ground.

"That's it. I was gonna go easy on you, but now I can't wait to see your body splattered across the ground." Shikamaru took a step back and widened his eyes.

"You're a little extreme aren't you? Alright then. Proctor, start the match." Tenzo gave Shikamaru a look before clearing his throat.

"The first match of the Chuunin Exams between Shikamaru Nara of the Leaf and Temari of the Sand will now begin! On my mark." He took a breath. "Begin!" Temari swung her fan in an arc and shot a blast of wind at Shikamamru as it unfurled. The surprised Genin barely had time to dive out of the way, leaving a tiny trail of blood from his ankle. He rolled and started running as she continued to send wave after wave of wind at him, giving him no time to retaliate. Finally, one of the blasts hit him, and he was chopped into pieces, only for a log to take his place. Temari looked around the arena but didn't see him, so she turned her attention to the only cover in the area. Behind the tree Shikamaru was panting.

"This is ridiculous. I can't even get near her." He sighed and then took a deep breath as he felt something impact against the tree. He ignored it as he let his mind focus on forming a plan. A few seconds later his eyes opened and he took another deep breath. "I really hope this works." He broke out in a run from behind the tree as Temari started her attack again. He zigzagged through the arena as he slowly made his way towards Temari, evading the wind as best as he could. He jumped and twisted through them, but after jumping over one, he landed on a rock and stumbled, giving Temari the opening she needed. He heard her grunt as she launched an especially powerful blast straight at him, and he brought his hands together in desperation. Tendrils of shadow whipped up around him and spun a barrier around him, which easily protected him from the blast. He regained his balance and jumped at her with his fist cocked back, and she brought her fan up in defense, but that was what he was counting on. He hand charged with blue electricity as he punched an incomplete Chidori through her fan and stopping an inch from her face. He quickly pulled his hand out before she could break it off and jumped backwards, landing in a crouch. She threw her fan away in rage and pulled a short blade from a hidden sheathe on her leg before charging at Shikamaru. He evaded her wild slashes easily, but he left openings to other kinds of attacks, and she kicked him away with a shout of satisfaction. Shikamaru rolled over and groaned.

"Time to break out the new stuff…"

_Flashback_

"_Genjutsu huh? I was expecting that from Sasuke, not you." Shikamaru sighed._

"_Yea yea. I just figure it fits my role. You and I both know I'll never be like those two." Kakashi cocked his head at his student's dismissal._

"_What do you mean?" He asked curiously. The Nara shrugged._

"_They've both been blessed with this amazing natural talent that no one can match. Not only that, but they use each other as stepping stools, so there's no limit to how strong they can get. The drive they have is unreal." Kakashi nodded at that. _

"_That is true, but couldn't you do the same?" Shikamaru cracked a smile._

"_I'm not really the competitive type." Kakashi rolled his eye._

"_Right. Well, then let's get to that Genjutsu."_

_End Flashback_

He pushed himself up and started to flash through hand signs as Temari ran at him again. He finished quickly and something that could only be described as a blob of a shadow rose in front of him. Temari stopped in her tracks and started to stare at the shadow as t started to sway and swirl. She slowly started to walked toward it and she reached her hand out when suddenly everything snapped back into focus, and she felt cold steel on her neck.

"Yield." She realized quickly that she couldn't move at all when her head, as if controlled by someone else, looked down. She saw her shadow and Shikamaru's shadows were connected. "Shadow Possession Technique. Pretty weird right?" She looked at the proctor out of the corner of her eye and sighed in defeat.

"I yield."

"This battle has been decided. The winner is Shikamaru Nara!"

Shikamaru dropped to the ground next to Temari. She looked at him strangely, and he just smirked. "You bought my bluff." Her eyes widened. "I'm out of chakra." He lied down, waiting for the medics to come and take him off the field. Temari stared at him with a mixture of shock, disappointment, and admiration.

'He controlled the battle the whole time...he knew what was going to happen before it did.' She stood up silently and leaned over the Nara.

"You're smarter than you look." He quirked an eyebrow at her. "I'm not done with you yet. There's something interesting about you." She walked away, leaving a confused Shikamaru on the ground.

"I'm too young to deal with troublesome women." 

XxX

"Somehow he won." Sasuke stated as the medics took his teammate off the field.

"What do you think she said to him?" Naruto asked, watching the Sand kunoichi exit the field.

"No idea. You can ask him later." Sasuke started to walk away. "I'm up."

"Good luck." Sasuke waved over his shoulder at Naruto's encouragement. On the field he stared at his opponent. Nanami was a frail, pale-skinned, blonde girl with a scythe strapped to her back. Sasuke thought it odd that such a sweet-looking girl would have such a deadly weapon, but he didn't dare underestimate her. Her outfit was a typical Mist ninja garb, but it seemed too big for her, as the sleeves were much longer than her arms. Her eyes also looked like the eyes of a Hyuuga, although Sasuke knew that would be impossible. The girl took her weapon off her back and twirled it around a few times.

"Are you ready?" Tenzo asked, looking at both Genin. They each nodded. "Begin!"

The girl crouched low and held her scythe out wide, and then she dashed in at Sasuke, appearing in front of him in a second. Sasuke ducked under the slash with wide eyes, marveling at her speed. As he leaned back he jumped and kicked at her face, but somehow her hand caught his ankle. He yelped as she swung him around and chucked him away from her. He landed hard, but he ignored the pain; he needed to get serious. He pushed himself up quickly and made hand signs as he ran at Nanami.

"Fire Style: Rolling Blaze!" Arcs of fire shot out of Sasuke's mouth and rolled towards Nanami.

"Water Style: Water Barrier." A wall of water shot up around the girl, protecting her on all sides from the blazing flames. Steam billowed over the battlefield and Sasuke activated his Sharingan to see through the thick fog.

"Hidden Mist Technique." Sasuke's vision blurred and he realized he could barely see now. His eyes were picking up light everywhere, as if the mist was charged with chakra. He saw faint movement out of his left eye, and it came slow enough that Sasuke could easily block it. As his kunai met her scythe, he saw the outline of her face; her eyes were closed. She was blind then, he realized, and his Sharingan was almost completely useless now. He jumped over another slash, and while in the air he pulled another kunai out and blocked her follow up. Her strikes came from every direction; silent as the mist itself, but Sasuke let his other senses guide him, as well as his instincts, and soon their hidden battle was like a graceful dance. Sasuke could barely get an attack in, as her style was almost flawless, and any errors were covered by her amazing speed. Sasuke cursed as her scythe dug into his leg, breaking his defense. She was winning, and he needed to turn the tables now. He hadn't wanted to unveil his new technique so early, but he didn't really have a choice...

_FLASHBACK_

___"You want to what?" Kakashi asked skeptically.___

_"I want to make a technique with a change in Chakra Nature and change in Chakra Shape." Sasuke answered firmly.___

_"You do realize how difficult that is right? The Rasengan is a change in Chakra Shape, but it's incomplete. The Fourth Hokage wanted to add in his Elemental Manipulation to the technique, but even he could not figure out how." _

_Sasuke stood firmly.__"It doesn't matter. I'll do it. I know I can do it." _

_Kakashi stared at the boy and sighed.__"Fine, but you need to master your element first." Kakashi's arm sparked with lightning. "By the time I'm done with you you'll be able to control storms."___

_END FLASHBACK_

Now all that hard training would pay off. He jumped back and held both his arms out. They begun to crackle with electricity, and the mist around him began to dissipate because of the heat. Two blades of solid blue lightning extended from Sasuke's arms, and most of the mist was blown away from the power of the technique. His opponent was clearly surprised, judging by her expression. She couldn't see the Lightning Blades, but she could definitely feel them and hear them. She charged back in and started slashing around wildly, hopping around and striking at every angle. Sasuke was able to keep up with her attacks, and his weapons were big enough to give him some leverage this time. He was still on the defensive, but he was slowly creating openings and tiring her out. Sparks flew as his Lightning Blades clashed with her scythe. Their fight was so intense that at this point, the civilians could only see the sparks from their clashes and the faint traces of Sasuke's weapons. Finally they met in the middle, Nanami's scythe tangled in both of Sasuke's blades. They were deadlocked in a power struggle. Sasuke wrenched his arms to the side, flinging the scythe to the side with a loud crack. Nanami's arm hung limply at her side. Sasuke pointed his blade at her. "Yield."

She charged at him, attacking him with a flurry of kicks. She used only her legs, but Sasuke was surprised at the ferocity of the attacks. Not only was she completely ignoring her broken arm, but she was fighting like the battle had just started. Even weaponless, she was still pressing Sasuke. He growled and kicked her in the stomach after blocking a kick, knocking the wind out of her. He then dashed behind her and elbowed her in the back of the head, knocking her out cold. His lightning blades dissipated and he stared down at the girl and then at her weapon ten feet away. It was sticking out of the ground, almost straight up, shimmering in the light. Sasuke turned around and walked out of the arena, not bothering to hear himself announced as the winner. 

XxX

"Look at him, walking like he's so cool." Naruto muttered. "He's acting like that was easy." Shikamaru shrugged. After his battle, the medics had taken him to the infirmary, where Shikamaru insisted he was fine, and that he only needed some bandages. They protested vehemently, but Shikamaru told them he'd walk out of there with or without the bandages, so they patched him up.

"I think he's just thinking. Whoever that girl is, she's good. And I'm pretty sure she's blind."

Naruto's head snapped over in surprise. "Blind? How can she be a ninja then?"

"Ninja are supposed to be masters of each of the five senses. She can function just as well, if not better, than you." Naruto and Shikamaru turned around and came face to face with one of Nanami's teammates.

"That's insane...how does she do it?" Naruto asked.

"She is very in tune with the world around her. She can feel nature as if it were a living soul. It's a...gift of hers."

Shikamaru nodded, "That's quite impressive. No wonder she was so skillful."

The Mist ninja nodded, "Yea, she is the strongest of us. Our sensei, Zabuza, is revered in our village, and since we are his students, at least one of us is expected to join the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist eventually. If it's any of us, it will be Nanami." Tenzo called for the next combatants to come down to the field. "I am being summoned. Until we meet again." The boy turned around, and Naruto's fist clenched.

"You have to surrender."

The Mist ninja stopped in his tracks and turned around.

"What are you-"

Naruto held his hand up, "Please, you really should listen to me. That boy...he's not normal. He'll kill you."

The Mist ninja didn't seem fazed, "I am no coward, nor am I weak. I can handle myself, little boy." Daishi walked away then, to what Naruto suspected was his doom. Sasuke came back to them then, silently leaning against the railing. After a moment he spoke.

"Does that kid have a chance?" The Uchiha asked.

Naruto sighed and said "I hope so." 

XxX

It was over in a few minutes. Gaara had not been amused by Daishi's water techniques, and he had crushed him with wave after wave of sand. Even the Jonin in the stadium were in disbelief; they weren't sure they could have survived that either. There were no remains to clean up, for they had been grounded to a powder by Gaara's sand. Finally, Naruto's battle was up. Of course, Naruto was not expecting what happened next.

"I forfeit!" Kankuro had shouted to Tenzo from the balcony. Naruto was perplexed, until he overheard Temari and Kankuro talking.

"...don't want to...die if I fight...too unstable..." Naruto grit his teeth as he listened. They were talking about Gaara, he was sure of it. So his own brother was too scared to even try to communicate with him. Naruto promised he would help Gaara.

Tenzo called for a five minute break, but Gaara appeared in the field in a swirl of sand.

"I will fight now." He stated apathetically.

"Who the hell do you think you are kid? It's not even your turn."

"It's fine." Tenzo looked over to see Naruto standing calmly. "He wants to fight me."

Tenzo looked between the two, and a look of realization dawned on his face. "So he's...?" Naruto nodded, causing Tenzo to twitch. "Don't worry. I won't let anything get out of hand." Naruto didn't acknowledge his last statement. Instead he walked close to Gaara.

"I'm going to help you."

Gaara's eyes narrowed, "The only way you can help me...is to die for me!"

Tenzo jumped back as two giant claws of sand erupted from the ground and flew at Naruto.

"Earth Style: Mud Wall!" A wall of earth rose out of the ground in front of Naruto. The first claw smashed into the wall, the nails punching holes through it and cracking it all over. When the second claw impacted, the wall crumbled and Naruto was buried under the rubble. A crazed smile crossed Gaara's face as he sent a tidal wave of sand at the pile of rubble.

"Sand Tsunami!" The wave of sand fell as the rubble exploded upwards. Naruto jumped up with the rubble and blasted through the towering wave of sand with a Rasengan, roaring at Gaara with fury.

"Rasengan!" He started to fall blisteringly fast, his arm outstretched aimed right at Gaara's head. A barrier of thick sand formed around Gaara just in time, and the Rasengan hit the sand with a boom. Dust flew up everywhere, obscuring the view for the spectators. Sasuke and Shikamaru held their breath as they waited to see their friend again. The dust cleared, and in the center of the stadium, Naruto was down on one knee in front of Gaara, panting heavily. Gaara was in the middle of a small crater created by the force behind Naruto's attack. Gaara seemed to be smiling.

"Yes...this will be so much fun! I can't wait to kill you!" More giant sand claws erupted from the ground, all of them flying at Naruto. The blonde jumped high into the air, avoiding the first two, but the third changed direction quickly and followed him upwards. As the claw threatened to over take him, Naruto thought back to his training, realizing he would have a chance to use what he had learned...

_FLASHBACK___

_Kakashi broke into a fit of laughter. He prided himself on being able to keep his composure in any situation, but sometimes, Naruto just said the damndest things.___

_"Why are you laughing!" Naruto shouted angrily.___

_"I'm-I'm sorry. That's just...well no one has ever tried that before. It's been proven that humans can't fly." Kakashi explained. _

_Naruto scoffed.__"I bet I can do it. Teach me how to control my element, and I promise you I'll succeed." _

_Kakashi just stared at Naruto. Finally he sighed and hung his head.__"You put a lot of pressure on me as a teacher you know. First Sasuke and his new technique, now you want to make one too? Even Shikamaru asked me to help him create a technique. Do you know how surprised I was when he asked that? I thought he was kidding." _

_Naruto grinned.__"You can handle it!" Kakashi rolled his eye. "And my father was creating his own techniques when he was young. I can't be better than him if I don't start earlier. And I'd have to live at least as long as Uncle Jiraiya." Kakashi was shocked and proud when he heard this. To hear a young boy talk about his mortality like that was odd, but Kakashi remembered how he was in his Genin days. But his dedication to his craft was astounding, and his determination to succeed really was limitless. _

_Kakashi just chuckled.__"Alright kid. Let's figure out how to make you fly."___

_END FLASHBACK_

Naruto relaxed his body and released a pulse of wind chakra from his body, pushing him to the right. The claw had no time to react, and so it flew right by him, and Naruto slapped an exploding tag on it. He dropped back down to the ground, slower than one normally would. He hadn't exactly learned how to fly yet, but he could launch himself high into the air, speed up his movements, and even shift himself midair with his new technique. The claw exploded above Naruto, scattering the sand across the arena. Naruto hadn't even touched the ground before he was in front of Gaara, fist cocked back. No sand could get in between them and Gaara was sent flying backwards, eventually being caught by his sand and averting injury. 

XxX

"He just flew didn't he?" Shikamaru asked, staring at the falling sand from the destroyed claw.

"...I can't believe he one upped me."

Shikamaru twisted around. "That's your response!"

Sasuke shrugged. "I'm used to seeing Naruto do ridiculous things. You should be too."

Shikamaru sighed. "But he just flew..." 

XxX

"Yes! You are worthy! Come! Let me kill you Naruto Namikaze!" Gaara was cackling maniacally, clearly having lost his mind. Naruto was a little frightened now, not necessarily for his life, but for how far this was going to escalate. Gaara seemed pretty serious...

Suddenly, explosions rocked the stadium, destroying the stone walls. Hundreds of disguised ninja jumped out of the stands, slaughtering any ninja they could get their hands on. Leaf ninja jumped into action, clearly caught by surprise. ANBU response teams appeared out of the shadows, and soon battles raged in the stadium, spreading like a plague across the village. But the invasion of the Leaf had begun. And a war had started. 

XxX

Hiruzen Sarutobi jumped out of his seat as a snake bit into the chair he had been sitting in not moments ago. He crashed through the roof of the kage box and landed on the roof of the arena. The Kazekage landed before him.

"To think you would murder a Kage...have you fallen so low Orochimaru!"

Orochimaru chuckled as he removed his disguise. "Why sensei...it is good to see you as well." The Sannin answered sarcastically.

"I take no pleasure in seeing the failure I created. I will correct my mistake. You will die here today my student." With a heavy heart, Hiruzen tore his robes off, exposing his battle armor. He then flashed through hand signs and bit his thumb. "Summoning Technique!" The Hokage slammed his hand on the ground, and large, white haired monkey wearing a Leaf headband appeared next to him. "Enma! We have been invaded! Please go help our forces repel the invaders!"

Enma surveyed the battlefield. "You'll need my help to-"

"I'll be fine! Just go! You're the only one that can deal with his summons!"

Enma stood still for a moment before nodding and jumping away.

Orochimaru chuckled. "You must be underestimating me sensei. I'm far stronger than you are."

Hiruzen grunted. "Don't act so cocky. Let me remind you why your team was called the Sannin." Hiruzen appeared behind Orochimaru, his fist blazing with fire.

"Fire Style: Blazing Fist!" His fist punched straight through Orochimaru, instantly destroying the mud clone. Orochimaru rose from the ground and slashed at Hiruzen with his Kusanagi. The blade made contact, but Hiruzen erupted into a plume of fire, scorching Orochimaru's face. The Snake Sannin roared in pain, and Hiruzen capitalized on the opportunity and charged at his student. He pummeled him with wild haymakers and kicks, sending him crashing through the ceiling with an axe kick. "You were the Sannin because I made you the Sannin!"

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!" The ceiling exploded upwards, sending Hiruzen along with it. Debris sliced into him as he fell back towards the roof. He righted himself at the last moment and landed in a low crouch.

"Don't try and take the credit sensei. I have learned far more on my own than I ever could have learned here!"

"You've forced my hand Orochimaru! No matter what, I will end your ambition!" They charged at each other, knowing the fate of the Leaf rested on this battle. 

XxX

"Wow, that escalated pretty fuckin fast." Kisame noted with a smirk. "Say boss, can we get in on the action? I dunno who these fuckers are, but I was enjoying the exams." Zabuza chuckled.

"You're too eager Kisame. This could be just as entertaining." Yagura rolled his eyes at his bodyguards.

"We will stay neutral for now. Let this play out for a bit." His bodyguards nodded. "But if the Sand in behind this, they will pay for Daishi." 

XxX

Naruto looked around as the attack commenced. He couldn't believe his village was being attacked. But he was too preoccupied to do anything about it.

"Yes! Look at all of your dying comrades! You will join them!" Sand started to slither up Gaara's body, and it formed a thick armor around him. A single tail formed on his back, his hands transformed into claws, and he had half of a raccoon-like mask on his face.

"What the..." Naruto barely had time to study Gaara's new form as his giant claw of sand came crashing down. Naruto rolled out of the way, but he was swiped away by the other claw. Gaara was so fast now Naruto could only see the large claws flailing around him. He felt helpless as he was relentlessly battered by Gaara's giant arms, each strike breaking at least one bone. Gaara on the other hand was high on adrenaline and bloodlust, laughing crazily with every blow. Naruto wasn't sure he could take much more, but then he heard the sound of chirping birds, and the attacks stopped. He collapsed to the ground, his body numb from the beating.

"I'll kill you for interfering! I'll make your blood stain the earth!" Naruto looked up to see Sasuke jump over a sand claw and slice it off with a Chidori. He then looked over to see Shikamaru yelling something at him, but he couldn't hear. He slowly got up, ignoring Shikamaru's prodding.

"I'm fine." He answered, a newfound strength rushing through him. "We can beat him." He looked at Shikamaru, who had a baffled expression on his face. The Nara just shook his head and together they charged at Gaara. 

XxX

**A/N: Yea, I'm ending it there. Bet you're all pissed. But that will make the conclusion better. So the invasion has started, and shits going down. Hiruzen and Orochimaru should be fun to write. The dialogue was actually kinda inspired by the conversation between Master Eraqus and Terra before they fought in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. Mostly Hiruzen's dialogue really, but I like the dialogue a lot, and it's a good parallel. Team 7 vs. Gaara should be interesting, and yes, Naruto can fly. I know it's ridiculous, but hear me out. First of all, he hasn't perfected it and he has the shadow clones. But really, I put it in there for comedy relief because honestly I think it's funny that Naruto can fly. Anyway, as usual if you got questions I'll answer them. Shout out to my beta Senjuto. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Till next time, peace!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Victory in Defeat

Kakashi was furious. He ruthlessly slaughtered any of the unidentified invaders that got in his way, the blood of his victims painting his attire. He had seen Orochimaru and the Hokage fighting on top of the arena, and he wanted nothing more than to rip the Sannin's head off of his body. Not only had the snake almost killed Kakashi's Genin charges, but now he was leading an invasion against the Leaf. Every cell in Kakashi's body was calling for Orochimaru's death, and not even an army would stop him from getting the Sannin's head. 

XxX

Naruto and Shikamaru charged forward, only to be sent tumbling backwards by Sasuke's body. They collectively groaned as Sasuke rolled off of them.

"You are weak Naruto Namikaze! Fight me with your full power! I want to feel alive!" Team 7 collected themselves and stood up.

"Damn he's strong..." Sasuke murmured, rubbing his side.

"Naruto...can you use the fox's power?" Shikamaru asked quickly.

Naruto's head snapped over to Shikamaru with wide eyes. "What? Why would I-"

Shikamaru interrupted him, "This kid is a Jinchuriki too. He's obviously using his Tailed Beast's power. The only thing that can compete with a Tailed Beast is another Tailed Beast."

"There is no time for talk! There is only time to kill!" Gaara sent a barrage of Sand bullets at Team 7, forcing them to scatter. "Stop running!" A grin full of insanity spread across Gaara's face. "If you won't come to me, I'll have to make you!" He turned around then, and with a great leap he disappeared over the crumbling arena wall.

"Where's he going?" Sasuke shouted.

"He's going to wreak havoc in the village. It's like he said, he's making us come to him." Shikamaru explained. He turned to Naruto. "Can you do it?" The blonde sighed and looked down.

"I don't know how." He said dejectedly.

"What about in the Forest of Death? You used it there right? So try and remember what that felt like." Naruto looked up at his friend. Shikamaru nodded at him, and Sasuke did the same. The blonde stood up straight and closed his eyes, thinking back to the day in the forest. He remembered the rage and fury he felt when Orochimaru had branded Sasuke with the Curse Seal. He remembered seeing crimson and he remembered the murderous thoughts that had rampaged through his mind. He remembered seeing his Uncle's blood on his hand. Then he thought of Gaara, and the threat he posed to the village. The blood-thirsty maniac was on the loose, and Naruto had to stop him.

_'Kill...'_

Red chakra started to seep out of Naruto's body, causing Sasuke and Shikamaru to take a step back. The chakra formed into a sort of armor, and as it fully formed, there was no mistaking the shape of a fox. The pointed ears, the claw like hands and the single, fiery tail waving behind Naruto; Shikamaru had no doubt what was happening. Naruto let out a thunderous roar before vaulting over the wall after Gaara. Sasuke and Shikamaru looked at each other, before nodding and chasing after their teammate.

XxX

Hiruzen's eyes went wide as he dodged one of Orochimaru's snakes. He felt a massive explosion of chakra from the arena, and he had recognized it in an instant. How could he not have, when he had faced that vile chakra face to face so many years ago. Not just him, but so many valiant Leaf warriors along with him. The chakra of the Nine-Tailed Fox was burned into the memory of everyone who survived that day. Hiruzen could only hope that Naruto was mostly in control, for this was the worst possible time for a Jinchuriki to go on a rampage, let alone two. But there was nothing he could do at the moment, because his former student was just as much of a threat.

"Fire Style: Flame Dragon Missile Barrage!" Hiruzen inhaled a great amount of oxygen, before exhaling a giant stream of fire that split into five blazing dragons. They twisted and whirled through the air, going straight for Orochimaru.

"Summoning Technique: Rashoman!" A giant, demonic looking gate sprang out of the ground in front of the Sannin just in time to intercept the fire attack. The Rashoman caved in from the impact, but held firm in the end.

"My my Sensei, that was quite a powerful attack. You really are going to kill me this time. Well, you'll try."

Hiruzen scoffed, "It's overconfidence like that that will get you killed Orochimaru!" The old Hokage shouted back.

"Overconfidence? I've already won this battle Sensei. In fact, I think I'll show you why." Orochimaru flashed through hand seals and slammed both hands onto the ground. "Summoning Technique: Impure World Reincarnation!"

Hiruzen's eyes widened, "This technique...Sensei..." Two coffins rose out of the ground beside Orochimaru.

"Yes this is the technique the Second Hokage created. But I have perfected it. Beg for your life Sensei." The coffin doors dropped, and Hiruzen gasped. "No..."

A foot stepped out of each coffin, and the zombie-like figures emerged. "Huh...how am I alive? Sensei, is that you?" The first man asked.

"Well I'll be damned. This sure as hell ain't heaven. And why are you here Sensei? Don't tell me you croaked too." The second man rambled.

Hiruzen growled, "Orochimaru! You go too far!" Orochimaru cackled, and both of the resurrected looked back at him.

"Orochimaru...you bastard!" The second one spat in disgust.

"Jiraiya...is that anyway to greet me. I've been grieving for you, my old teammate."

Jiraiya snarled, "What have you done?" He looked over at the other summon. "Sakumo...is that you?"

"It is my old friend. It is. So this is Orochimaru's doing? And here I thought this might be another one of your pranks."

Jiraiya laughed hollowly, "If only." Jiraiya turned to Hiruzen. "So what now?" Orochimaru stepped forward.

"Now I get to watch as you two kill the Hokage. Quite an interesting turn of fate no?" He approached the two and slapped seal tags on the back of their necks, the tags glowing and then disintegrating. "Normally, I would kill their personalities and turn them into mindless killing machines, but I think leaving their souls intact would be much more agonizing for you Sensei." Jiraiya and Sakumo's skin turned from pale to normal, and their bodies seemed to brim with vitality. "Now then...shall we begin?" Jiraiya and Sakumo charged in at Hiruzen, but both of them were sent flying away. Hiruzen was surprised to see Zabuza and Kakashi standing next to him.

"What are you doing?" He asked quietly.

"I cannot stand by and watch as that monster uses my father's soul like a puppet! He has to die!" Kakashi exclaimed passionately.

"I'm just here for the challenge. My leader is going after the other Jinchuriki." Hiruzen nodded.

"Your aid is appreciated." Orochimaru growled at the turn of events.

"It doesn't matter how many of you there are. I'll still take your life Sensei. Now come!"

XxX

Yagura followed the two Jinchuriki into the village after they left, deciding he could be more useful here than against Orochimaru. He saw Naruto land in front of Gaara, who was holding a woman in his giant claw. For now, Yagura decided he would observer, because a third Jinchuriki would only make things worse at this point.

XxX

_'Kill Gaara...kill Gaara...'_ The whispers echoed through Naruto's head, filling him with bloodlust and murderous desire. But he wasn't going crazy. His target was Gaara, and Naruto's only desire was to kill Gaara. Finally, his heightened senses picked up on Gaara's scent, and he rushed to the source. He found his target in the middle of the street, a young civilian woman gripped between his giant claws. Gaara looked over at Naruto and howled in glee.

"Yes! Now you are using your power! Feel the bloodlust! Fight me to the death!"

Naruto roared in fury and dashed at Gaara. He swung his arm at Gaara, and the red chakra claw around his arm extended, slamming into Gaara. The woman fell from Gaara's arm and scrambled away in fear. Gaara clasped his hands together and swung them around before bringing them down to crush Naruto like a nail under a hammer. Naruto held his arms out and his claws extended to catch the deadly attack, and he threw Gaara over his head. Gaara crashed through a shop, but he quickly jumped out and swung at Naruto. Naruto was sent sliding across the ground, but the blonde easily recovered. Naruto's chakra claws dug into the earth and came out with a huge chunk of earth in each hand. He hurled them both at Gaara, who jumped over the first and smashed the other one aside, sending it into another building. Hundreds of tiny clumps of sand rose from the ground around Gaara.

"Sand Shuriken!" The clumps of sand formed into shuriken, and they shot at Naruto, slicing into him in every part of his body. He didn't seem to notice however, or he just didn't care, and he let out a feral roar as a pulse of red chakra exploded from him, knocking the rest of the projectiles away. Gaara jumped into the air and sucked in a large breath.

"Wind Style: Wind Bullet!" He exhaled a compacted blast of wind at Naruto, who just stared at the attack. It collided with him, and a large crater formed around Naruto. Naruto was forced to his knees by the pressure of the attack, but other than that it was as if he never felt it. With a roar he propelled himself off the ground, shooting off like a rocket at Gaara. He flung his chakra claw at Gaara, smashing the Sand ninja down towards the ground. As Gaara crashed into the ground, Sasuke and Shikamaru arrived on the scene.

"Holy..."

"Shit..." The battleground was a complete mess; rubble lined the streets, and buildings were half destroyed. There wasn't even a road anymore.

"Are we even gonna be of any use here?" Shikamaru asked, marveling at the damage to the street. "This fight is on a-whole-nother level Sasuke." The Uchiha grit his teeth.

"I'm not just gonna sit here while Naruto takes on a Jinchuriki by himself. We have to do something." Shikamaru sighed and looked around.

"I don't think we can do anything. Do you think you can keep up with them?" Shikamaru asked, pointing at the raging battle going on in front of them. Naruto and Gaara were pummeling each other with wild attacks, literally shaking the earth with each clash.

"No..." Sasuke whispered frustratingly.

"Then just be patient. We'll figure something out." Sasuke nodded reluctantly. The inhuman-paced battle continued around the two Genin as they tried to follow the Jinchuriki brawl. Finally, it seemed that even they needed a breather, and so the fighting ceased. Naruto seemed completely feral, having only one focus: Gaara. The red-head seemed to be enjoying himself, if the crazy smile on his face was anything to go by.

"I feel so alive! Hahaha yes! Now we shall really see if you are strong Naruto Namikaze! I will bring my wrath down upon you!" The Sand ninja brought his claws together. "False Sleep Technique!" Gaara's head drooped down, and his breathing calmed.

"Is he...asleep?" Shikamaru asked, clearly confused. Sasuke had no time to respond however, as a giant pillar of sand erupted from the ground around Gaara. A high pitched, screeching laughter echoed through the village.

"Gyahaha! I'm free! Wheeee!" The sand shaped into the form of a giant raccoon, and the One-Tail was released into the world again.

"Are you kidding me..." Shikamaru murmured angrily. "That's an actual Tailed-Beast! We are so dead." Sasuke cracked his knuckles.

"That's it. Naruto needs our help. Useful or no I'm going." Sasuke jumped away and into the battle, while Shikamaru stared at the One-Tail in awe.

"How troublesome." He sighed and followed after Sasuke, wracking his brain for a way to live through this.

XxX

Yagura was shocked that the Shukaku was let out so easily, and was about to step in when he realized that it still wouldn't make a difference. This was not the place to unleash his Jinchuriki power, something that he did not have full control over yet either. He cursed as he was forced to sit out lest they destroy the entire village, and he only hoped that this boy would be strong enough.

XxX

As the battle between the Jinchuriki raged on, Shikamaru noticed that even with the monumental difference in size, Naruto seemed to be doing significant damage to Shukaku. But it still wasn't enough.

_'He needs to control himself if we're going to beat this thing.'_ Shikamaru thought, watching his friend slice Shukaku's arm off with his chakra claw. The beast howled in pain before smacking Naruto through a few buildings in retaliation. Sasuke shot a powerful Grand Fireball at the beast, but it seemed to do nothing more than tickle Shukaku. Naruto shot like a bullet from where he had landed and punched a hole straight through Shukaku's chest, which he definitely felt.

"You little bastard! That hurt!" Shukaku screeched angrily, bashing Naruto to the ground with his tail, and repeatedly smashing the blonde's body deeper into the earth. Another burst of red chakra erupted from Naruto, throwing the tail away giving him time to escape. Shikamaru watched from afar, knowing there was nothing he could do besides think of a plan. He looked at Shukaku's head and noticed that half of Gaara's body was protruding from the beast's scalp. He seemed to be sleeping.

"So he is asleep...Sasuke! I think I know what to do!" Sasuke jumped away from the battle and landed next to Shikamaru.

"You were right. We're completely useless."

"Forget about that. Look up there." Sasuke looked up at Shukaku's head and noticed the red-head.

"What is he doing? He's not moving at all."

"My guess is sleeping. And I bet you if we wake him up we can stop his rampage."

Sasuke stared up at Gaara, "How do we wake him up?"

Shikamaru sighed, "I don't know. This would be easier if Naruto could control himself. We'll just have to rely on him to distract the damn thing. Do you have exploding tags?" Sasuke nodded. "Good. That's the only thing in our arsenal that might hurt that thing."

"Do you have a plan?" Sasuke asked.

"Run up there a punch him in the head." Sasuke chuckled.

"Fine with me. Let's go." Shikamaru and Sasuke ran at the towering figure, running up his legs using their chakra. Tiny tendrils of sand slithered out of Shukaku's skin in an attempt to stop the two Genin, whipping at them and trying to grab them. Sasuke flashed through hand seals and his lightning blades sprung from his hands. He slashed and hacked his way through the tendrils as he made his way up Shukaku's body. Shikamaru weaved through every tendril as he wrapped three exploding tags around a kunai.

"Jump!" At Shikamaru's command, Sasuke leapt straight up as the Nara flung his kunai at the creature's knee. It exploded on contact, and the combined force of the three tags blew Shukaku's knee off. He roared in pain as he crashed to the ground, unable to keep his balance. Naruto capitalized on this, launching a barrage of attacks at the beast. Sasuke and Shikamaru wasted no time in running to the head, where Gaara lie unconscious. As they closed in, a dome of sand started to form around Gaara in an attempt to protect him. Sasuke leapt forward, cleaving the dome into pieces with a cross slash, and Shikamaru followed with a vicious kick to Gaara's head. There was a resounding crack, and Shukaku screamed in fury.

"No! How can three children defeat me? Damn you! I will kill you all!" The body started to crumble until there was nothing more than a large pile of sand. Gaara stood slowly; now back to his normal form. He looked at the members of Team 7 with something akin to fear on his face.

"No...how could...how could I have lost?" Naruto growled and crouched as if ready to pounce. "Stay back! I will not let you erase my existence!" He screamed defiantly and pillars of sand erupted around him. Sasuke and Shikamaru took a step back, but Naruto dashed forward, charging a Rasengan in his hand. The Rasengan was a crimson red, and it seemed to almost drip with malevolent chakra. The pillars of sand twisted around each other and surged toward Naruto, forming into a large, ornate-looking spear. Naruto's attack clashed with the spear, and a brilliant flash of red and yellow exploded over the area, sending shockwaves of red and yellow chakra in every direction. Sasuke and Shikamaru were blown away by the intense explosion, even though they were farther away. When the dust finally cleared, there was a larger crater wider than the street. Any building within thirty feet of the explosion was no more than a pile of rubble now. The area was destroyed. Naruto lay on the ground at the center, his eyes focused on the clouds. The chakra from the fox was gone now, and Naruto felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to every part of his body. He was aware of what had just happened; he saw every second of it. But he hadn't been in control for a moment of it. All he remembered were the frenzied, chaotic, sinister screams that had reverberated through his head.

_'KILL KILL KILL KILL!'_

It had become his mantra, his one purpose for living. To kill. It was as if he didn't have a conscious...just instinct. The instinct of a killer. He would have shuddered if he could, but he was still in way to much pain to move. He heard movement to his left, and he willed himself to tilt his head slightly. He could just see Gaara out of his peripherals. He too seemed to be paralyzed with pain. Naruto let out a soft sigh.

"Is that what it's like...for you? To hear screams of murder and death?" Naruto asked quietly.

"...Yes." Gaara answered after a moment. "He never stops...not until now."

"I'm sorry. I understand your pain. I…didn't know who I was." Naruto stated sympathetically.

"I've never known who I am. My existence is to kill. I am death in human form. Evil in spirit and mind." Gaara admitted hollowly. "Hated by all and loved by none."

"I don't hate you." Gaara's eyes widened. "I couldn't hate you. You are the same as me, brother. We are the power of the sacrifice."

"You..." Gaara was at a loss for words.

"Let's be friends Gaara. I'll help you. And I know others will too. Your brother and sister. They may be scared of you, but they don't hate you." Naruto said softly. Gaara looked at Naruto with wide eyes. A tear of blood dripped from his eye.

"Naruto Namikaze...we will be...friends." Naruto smiled.

"That's good." Naruto heard the sound of footsteps.

"Are you okay?" Shikamaru asked, appearing above him. His clothes were charred, and ash covered his body. Sasuke was in a similar state.

"I'm great. Never better. I can't move though."

Shikamaru sighed, "We'll carry you. We're going back to the arena."

Naruto's eyes widened as Shikamaru lifted him and wrapped his arm around his shoulder, "Gramps..." They were about to jump when Naruto stopped them. "Wait! Take him too!"

Sasuke looked at him in shock, "Are you serious?"

"Just do it! It's not his fault." Sasuke looked at Shikamaru, who just shrugged. With a sigh, Sasuke hoisted Gaara up, and the four of them made their way to the arena as fast as they could. 

XxX

Orochimaru growled at his former sensei. He had not expected Hiruzen to have been in such good shape in his old age. He was still a shadow of his former self, but Orochimaru knew he wouldn't have been able to take on the God of Shinobi in his heyday. The traitorous Sannin had been counting on Hiruzen's skills to be dull, but it seemed that was not the case. And to make it worse the Mizukage had stepped in. Fighting two Kage, even with his resurrected summons, was not favorable.

"Watch out Sensei!" Orochimaru scowled at Jiraiya's warning. It had been a mistake to keep Jiraiya and Sakumo's personalities intact as well. They had been a hindrance almost as much as a boon. Hiruzen easily dodged the Earth Dragon Missile thanks to Jiraiya's warning. Orochimaru was furious. He needed to end this now.

"That's it!" He shouted angrily. "I'm tired of this game! I will show you my true form!" Orochimaru's jaw seemed to unhinge itself, and it literally dropped to the ground. A large, white-scaled snake jumped out at Hiruzen. He jumped over it as it crashed through the roof where he had stood.

"You are no longer human my student. You are an abomination..." He turned to see Sakumo flying at him, white chakra saber poised to kill. Kakashi intercepted him at the last moment with his own white chakra saber, and kicked him down to the roof. Kakashi then flashed through hand seals and his hand erupted with lightning.

"Raikiri!" He sped towards his father through the air, Raikiri in one hand white chakra saber in the other. Sakumo leapt off the roof with blistering speed. He formed a Wind Blade in one hand and brandished his own blade in the other, clashing with Kakashi mid-air. Kakashi was knocked backwards and he fell to the roof with a thud. Sakumo begun a string of hand seals, but was forced to stop when Zabuza appeared in front of him. He blocked his slash with his blade and knocked him back down to the roof. He landed next to Jiraiya, and both of them charged at Zabuza. He clipped his sword on his back and blocked each of their attacks and engaged them in a Taijutsu battle. He easily kept up with the two of them, in strength and speed, something that impressed both of them. Jiraiya and Sakumo jumped back and both started forming hand signs.

"Fire Style: Flame Dragon Missile!"

"Wind Style: Heavenly Gale!"

Jiraiya spewed a large fire dragon from his mouth, while Sakumo exhaled a stream of sparkling wind. The flames converged with the wind, and they superheated, turning a silvery-white. The dragon burned with the intensity of the sun as it sped towards Zabuza. He started to blur through hand signs.

"Water Style: Super Water Colliding Wave!" Zabuza spat out an unreal amount of water that rushed towards the flaming dragon. The dragon left a trail of steam as it tore through the wave, finally dissipating only a foot from the Mist ninja. Kakashi dashed past Zabuza, a streak of white light shining behind him. He kicked Jiraiya away and slashed at his father, who barely leaned under the blow. The roof started to rumble, and Orochimaru crashed through the roof from behind Sakumo, diving down at Hiruzen, who had been going through a long string of hand seals. Hiruzen cursed, and dove out of the way. He appeared behind Sakumo with the Body Flicker Technique and smacked him away with a spinning kick. He hopped next to Kakashi.

"I need you to hold them off. I can get rid of those...imposters, but only if I have time!" Kakashi nodded and turned around.

"They're not imposters...that... is my father."

Hiruzen sighed, "I'm sorry Kakashi. For what happens now, and what happens after this." Kakashi's eyes widened, and the Hokage nodded.

"I will protect you with my life, Lord Hokage."

Hiruzen smiled, "You don't have to call me that anymore."

Kakashi's hands lit up with a Raikiri in each, "Thank you, Lord Hiruzen."

Kakashi jumped into the air as Orochimaru dove at him. As they came together, Kakashi spun his body around and slashed the giant snake across the eyes. They both fell to the roof, but Kakashi jumped up again over Orochimaru's head. The Snake Sannin was blind to his final moments. Kakashi dropped down straight on Orochimaru's head and punched both of his Raikiri through his skull. He landed on his head and slashed his hands outward, flaying the Sannin's head. He ripped his blood soaked hands out of the skull and looked over at Hiruzen, who had two Shadow Clones next to him. He completed a long string of hand seals with a tired look on his face.

"Sealing Technique: Dead Demon Consuming Seal!" Kakashi's eyes widened. The two Shadow Clones jumped over to Jiraiya and Sakumo and took hold of them.

"It looks like our time is up." Jiraiya stated, smiling at Hiruzen. "Too bad it's come to this Sensei."

Hiruzen nodded wearily, "Yes Jiraiya, I'm truly sorry for what Orochimaru had done to us. It is my fault as his teacher, and I will bear the burden."

"Don't blame yourself Sensei. He did it to himself. We never blamed you. Tsunade acted like she did, but she blamed everything. I would have let him go too."

Hiruzen chuckled, "Thank you Jiraiya. You know, I always did say you two would be the death of me." The bodies of Jiraiya and Sakumo started to lose their color.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble Lord Hokage. This is like nothing I could have imagined." Sakumo stated grimly.

"It's over now Sakumo. We can all have peace at last." Hiruzen replied. Kakashi walked up to his father as the Death God started to extract his soul. At the same time, Naruto, Sasuke and Shikamaru landed on the roof. Naruto, despite his injuries, ran up to Jiraiya.

"Uncle Jiraiya!" He collapsed in front of him looking up at him with wide eyes. "What..."

"Stand up, boy. Let me see how you've grown." Naruto pushed himself up and stared at Jiraiya.

Jiraiya smiled, "You look just like him...it was good to see you again kid." Jiraiya tousled his hair and his arm started to crumble. Sakumo looked at Kakashi.

"There is much I wish I could say to you son...but I'm out of time."

Kakashi shook his head, "It's fine. I just want you to know, that I...what you did, was the right thing to do."

Sakumo smiled, "I'm grateful to hear that. I'm just so sorry for leaving you on your own. But you turned out okay, huh?"

Jiraiya and Sakumo's bodies crumbled as their souls were sealed. Hiruzen smiled. "I shall see you soon boys."

The Death God sealed Hiruzen's soul, and his body fell over, lifeless. Kakashi walked over to him, knelt down, and shut his eyelids. He stood and turned to the Zabuza.

"Thank you for helping. Your actions today will not be forgotten." Zabuza nodded.

"Just following orders. If it means anything, he died a fitting death for a Kage."

Kakashi looked down at the Hokage and nodded solemnly. "Yes, but there will be time to grieve later. First, we clear these vermin out of my village." Zabuza nodded as a team of ANBU appeared on the roof.

"Captain Kakashi!" One of the men shouted as he ran up to him. "Lord Hokage..." He murmured, seeing Hiruzen's body. Kakashi sighed.

"He did it for the village. Tell me how are we faring?" Tenzo stared at the Hokage's body for a moment before snapping to attention.

"The invasion has failed. By some miracle we won. Prisoners are being sent to ANBU headquarters now. We'll know everything by tonight. Teams Gamma and Beta along with five medic teams are sweeping the village now, looking for injured and KIA."

Kakashi nodded, "Good work. We have a long day ahead of us, so you better be ready."

Tenzo saluted, and Kakashi returned the gesture. The village may have been damaged, but the Will of Fire was burning brighter than ever before. 

XxX

**A/N: That's the end of the invasion. The aftermath is next with plenty of good stuff to follow. I tried to make Orochimaru's death gruesome, so I hope you all pictured it right. The fight with Gaara was fun too; I like trying to build off of wild fighting styles. I'm curious as to whether my fight scenes are good or not, it's hard to tell. ******

**So next chapter soon. No more action for a little, although I may throw a torture scene in there. I'll give you a warning; I'm going to try to make that as fucked up as possible, so if any of you who are uneasy about a torture scene, I recommend you skip the scene. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and a big shoutout to my beta Senjuto. Till next time, peace!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Regrowth

A sea of black covered the streets of the Leaf Village. Everyone was dressed in ceremonial black robes, and everyone was in attendance of the funeral. On top of the Hokage Mansion were close friends and family of all the deceased, grieving for their loved ones. Pictures of all of the Leaf ninja who had lost their lives were blazoned for all to see, and great, beautiful flower arrangements of all types of colors decorated the memorial. The casket of the Third Hokage stood in the center of the memorial, with a large picture of him leaned up against his casket. His old teammates stood next to the coffin with somber expressions, nodding at everyone in the funeral procession. Women wept and men sighed as they paid their respects, and every ninja in the village vowed to carry on for the fallen; to keep the Will of Fire, the legacy of the Third Hokage, burning brightly. Team 7 stood silently in the front, a stoic expression on each of their faces. They were mourning now, but in the back of their minds they thought of rebuilding the Leaf. Bringing the Leaf back to its former glory would be tough, but everyone in the village was determined to do it.

Kakashi looked up into the sky as a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky. Thunder boomed through the village, and drops of rain fell on the funeral. The cold rain was welcomed by the mourners; it was numbingly cold. Numb was a nice feeling, compared to sadness.

Soon, people started to trudge away, probably to go home and find some peace. It would be hard to find on a day like this, but reflection leads to discovery, and anything was possible. Kakashi looked down at his charges and tousled Sasuke and Shikamaru's hair.

"I'm proud of you three." They looked at the ground. "Don't let this get to you. The Hokage did this for the village. He died with honor." Sasuke looked up.

"What happens now?" The other two looked up as well, and all three stared at Kakashi helplessly.

"Now...we rebuild. Lots of changes are coming boys. Will you have my back in the days to come?" Their expressions shifted to confusion.

"Of course," Shikamaru answered. "What kind of question is that?" Kakashi smiled.

"Good. I have things to do. We'll meet up tomorrow at the usual time." He turned away and shoved his hands in his pockets, walking away as if it were a casual day.

"What was that all about?" Naruto asked cluelessly.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it's something big. He seems...nervous." Shikamaru guessed, squinting his eyes in concentration.

"I never thought Kakashi the type of guy to get cold feet." Sasuke replied. "If he really is nervous, then this is serious." Shikamaru sighed and shrugged.

"We'll find out sooner or later." 

XxX

"I'm sure you all know why we have called this meeting." The atmosphere of the room as tense and serious. This was the first step in rebuilding the village, and it was a damn big one. Homura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane, and Danzo Shimura sat in a round vestibule, representing the leadership of the Leaf. Next to them in a similar vestibule sat the Fire Lord and his closest advisor. In front of them were two columns of seats; one full of prominent Leaf ninja and Clan Heads, the other full of Lords, Military Heroes, and Monk Warriors. "With the death of Hiruzen Sarutobi, another leader must be chosen to take up the mantle of Hokage. Hiruzen did not leave any mention of a successor, so this will have to be done the democratic way. Nominations of any village Jonin will be taken, and a second will put them on the ballot. The floor is open." Homura sat down after the long explanation, and immediately Inoichi Yamanaka stood up.

"This isn't a nomination per se...but what about Tsunade Senju?"

"Tsunade Senju no longer wishes to be associated with the Leaf. With Jiraiya and Hiruzen dead, her last two connections to the village are gone." Danzo replied calmly but spitefully. "She would never take up the job." Inoichi sat down, and a red haired man stood.

"I would like to nominate Danzo Shimura." Kakashi rolled his eyes. Of course Danzo would plant a Root Agent in the meeting. He'd be dumb not to. But he needed a second vote, and Kakashi hoped no one else would back him.

"I second that nomination." Hiashi Hyuuga calmly stated. Kakashi cursed under his breath. This was turning out exactly how Hiruzen predicted. He sighed put his hand in his pocket.

"Danzo has been nominated. We shall continue with the nominations." The Fire Lord raised his hand for attention.

"What about Asuma Sarutobi, Hiruzen's son?" Asuma, who was at the meeting, started coughing.

"Me, Your Excellency?" He asked, standing up.

"Why not? You served as my father's guardian long ago, and you are one of the only two still alive today. That sash around your waist is more than something to wipe your hands on." Asuma bowed.

"Thank you Your Excellency. I am honored." Shikaku Nara stood.

"I second that nomination."

"Asuma Sarutobi is on the ballot." There was a loud bang, and everyone's head turned to Danzo, who had just smacked his cane against the ground.

"Another Sarutobi will only mean destruction for the Leaf Village! We cannot stay on the path of benevolence, or we will be overtaken by the strong." He stood. "We are very vulnerable at this point in time, and we must appear to be just as strong. We cannot do that under the guidance of a Sarutobi!" The elders seemed to agree with them, and Kakashi sighed. It was time to act.

"Excuse me. I have something I would like to say." Everyone turned to Kakashi. "The Hokage suspected many things in his final days, and he entrusted me with solving these mysteries. And as the Fifth Hokage, I will honor his request." Everyone seemed stunned by his declaration, and Danzo snarled.

"Who named you Hokage whelp?" Kakashi whipped a scroll out of his pocket and opened it.

"This is the Last Will and Testament of Hiruzen Sarutobi." Danzo's eyes widened. "In it, he names a successor to his mantle. Can you guess who it is Cyclops?" Danzo's face erupted into fury.

"Insolent boy...your disrespect will not be tolerated." Kakashi's eyes narrowed.

"The feeling is mutual Danzo." Koharu stood up.

"This is quite unexpected. Tell us Kakashi, why did you not come forth with this sooner?" She asked curiously.

"Hiruzen told me to wait until the right moment. There were some things he lead me to believe, and some things I wanted to confirm, before I came forth." The Fire Lord stood.

"Well then it is settled! Kakashi is one of the most famous ninja of the Leaf. Plus he was the one who killed Orochimaru was he not? He's perfect for Hokage. And so he shall be." The weight of those words hit Kakashi like a meteor, and he almost passed out. But he would follow his sensei's example and be the best damn Hokage he could be, or die trying.

XxX

"Naruto! Naruto open your door now!" The large door swung open, and the angry face of Naruto appeared.

"What Shikamaru? It's four in the morning..." Shikamaru grabbed Naruto's shoulders and shook him.

"Shut up. Kakashi is the new Hokage." Naruto's eyes widened.

"Are you serious?" Shikamaru slowly nodded with wide eyes. "That's great!"

"He must have known. That's why he was acting weird." Naruto nodded.

"Yea that must have been it. But to think he's Hokage now...what's going to happen to our team?" Shikamaru shook his head.

"I dunno. I don't think Kakashi will separate us, but he won't have time to train us with all the rebuilding." The Nara surmised.

"We should go see him. You know where he probably is." Shikamaru nodded, and they dashed off into the night.

XxX

Kakashi stood still, staring at the Memorial Stone. It shone brightly in the moonlight, like a beacon of light in the darkness.

"You three know me too well." Naruto, Sasuke, and Shikamaru walked up behind the Jonin. Naruto and Shikamaru had gotten Sasuke along the way, explaining the news along the way.

"Congratulations sensei." Naruto greeted.

"I'm guessing your father told you Shikamaru?" The Nara nodded. "Figures. Well, as of today I am the Fifth Hokage. I've already won the vote of confidence. The ceremony will be tomorrow, and after that I probably won't see you guys for a few months unless I'm assigning you a mission." The boys' eyes widened.

"What? Why?" Naruto asked.

"I have a village to rebuild Naruto. I'm sorry but all my attention must be focused on the village. We may have beaten back the invasion, but we still took losses. It will take time, but I will fix this." Kakashi stated.

"It's okay Sensei. We understand." Sasuke replied. "But what will happen to our team?" Kakashi smiled behind his mask.

"Well, I'll be the only one leaving. You three will have many opportunities now that you're Chuunin." They jumped in surprise.

"Chuunin? Really!" Naruto shouted excitedly.

"I think you three earned it. The kids in this exam were very strong. The Ex-Kazekage's children, and the apprentices of the leader of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist are some serious contenders. Not to mention Orochimaru, and dealing with a full scale invasion. I don't see how I can't." Team 7 smiled.

"Thank you." They replied simultaneously. Kakashi looked up at the moon as a cloud drifted past it. He could tell he was going to need them just as much as they needed him.

XxX

Kakashi stood atop the Hokage Mansion. Everyone in the village was standing before him, waiting for him to be crowned Hokage. Hiruzen's advisors stood behind him; they would pass him the torch. He felt weightless up there as the crowd admired him. It was a feeling he would never forget. Homura stepped forward with the Hokage hat in his hand.

"Today we usher in a new era. The era of the Fifth Hokage, Kakashi Hatake!" He placed the hat on Kakashi's head, and the crowd erupted in cheers. Kakashi stepped forward and held his hand up, silencing the crowd. He marveled at their silence, a little awestruck by the respect he now commanded.

"Tragedy has befallen us my fellow villagers, but we will rise again. In his final days Hiruzen Sarutobi passed his Will of Fire on to me, fearing his reign at an end. And so I vow to protect the village with my life, as he did and Minato Namikaze, my sensei, did before him. I will do everything in my power to lead the Hidden Leaf Village once more, but I will need your help and support. We and the village are one, and we must act as one to mend the broken pieces." The crowd cheered again, and Kakashi waved, almost feeling starstruck. Homura put a hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of his reverie.

"There is much to do Lord Hokage." Kakashi nodded, and with a final wave he retreated into the mansion. He and the elders entered the Council Room, where various clan heads and Leaf officials were starting to arrive. Kakashi took a seat at the head of the meeting, and when the room filled they started immediately.

"There are many things you must take care of first before you start your duties. First, you must choose your advisors. As Homura and I did for Hiruzen, they will give you insight and opinion when you need it." Koharu said to him immediately as he entered the room. Kakashi, a little flustered, slowly nodded. "The teammates of the previous Hokage's were usually their teammates, but seeing as yours are no longer alive..." Kakashi winced, "...you must choose two trusted friends. Do you have any in mind?" Koharu asked. Kakashi nodded.

"Yes. I would like to make Shikaku Nara and Guy Maito my advisors." Koharu nodded.

"Very well. Nara, front and center." Koharu ordered. She snapped her fingers and an ANBU appeared. "Fetch Guy Maito." The ANBU disappeared. Shikaku Nara walked up to the front, and Koharu gave up her seat on Kakashi's left. Homura stood as well as Guy and the ANBU appeared.

"Take a seat Guy." Homura offered genuinely. Guy sat down and looked at Kakashi curiously.

"What is this about Kakashi?"

"I have made you one of my advisors. Do you accept?" Guy's eyes widened.

"Of course! How could I not accept such an honorable position from my rival! I swear I will advise you with as much youth as I can muster!" Kakashi smiled with relief at Guy's antics, while others seemed to ignore it. Homura and Koharu sat next to the new advisors.

"Next, you must pick your ANBU Captain." Kakashi shook his head at this.

"Tenzo is the most capable in our forces to lead ANBU. He will remain Captain." Tenzo smiled.

"I won't disappoint you Lord Hokage." Koharu cleared her throat.

"Right. Well now that that's settled, we can get on to the restoration." Kakashi nodded, and the room got even more serious. "The most damage occurred in the Arena District and the Southern Civilian Center. That was where the brunt of Orochimaru's forces attacked from. There's also of course the giant crater in the Market District left by the Tailed Beast and your student." Kakashi sighed.

"They stopped him didn't they?" Koharu huffed.

"I'm not here to discuss this issue with you. There are more important things to deal with." Kakashi rolled his Sharingan eye, a funny trick he had taught himself.

"How many construction workers have we hired?" Kakashi asked.

"Just about every damn one in the village, and some from the capital. We have the budget for it, but it doesn't leave us with a lot left." Homura explained.

"Were any points of interest damaged?" He asked, and Tenzo grinned. He was turning back into the clever, methodical ANBU Captain he had been before.

"The hospital, ANBU Headquarters, Barrier Corps, Academy, Gold Stores, Archive Library, and Clan Compounds are all unharmed. There is mostly destruction in the area around the arena. Unfortunately, the armory was demolished, and nothing could be salvaged. Furthermore the metal stores themselves were destroyed as well, leaving us with no resources." Koharu explained quickly.

"How much money is left on the budget?" Kakashi asked, leaning forward.

"300,000 ryo." Homura answered.

"Right." Kakashi took out a piece of paper and scribbled on it. He then snapped his fingers. An ANBU appeared beside him, and he giggled. "Damn it's cool that I can do that." The ANBU coughed. "Right. Take this to the bank and withdraw about 750,000 from my father's fortune. If they give you any trouble take it out of your account and I will pay you back plus the pay for an S Rank mission." Everyone's eyes widened.

"You can't be serious!" Danzo shouted.

Kakashi shrugged, "I am. I have no use for it. Serves the village better than me."

"That's...very generous...Lord Hokage." Homura stuttered. "But also highly illegal. You cannot force a Leaf ninja to spend his own money on a mission!"

Kakashi looked at the ANBU. "Do you have any problem with my orders?" The ANBU straightened.

"No Lord Hokage, that would be stupid." Kakashi smirked. Genma was always good at getting the elders riled up.

"My point exactly. So go!" Genma disappeared from the room to fulfill his S-Rank mission. "I said 750,000 ryo right? So now we have 1,050,000 ryo. How much money do we usually spend on a full stock of kunai?"

"200,000 ryo." Shikaku answered.

"Ok. Commission 300,000 ryo worth of kunai, and 100,000 ryo worth of exotic weaponry. We should also start negotiations with Hidden Waterfall for metals. Set aside 200,000 ryo for that. The rest of the money can be used to buy a surplus of food from the various countries we trade with, or possibly to invest in some newer defense technology. Or both." Koharu seemed a little taken back.

"That sounds like a…fine idea Lord Hokage." Kakashi nodded triumphantly.

"Good. Now, do we have any intel on the invasion?" Kakashi asked.

"It seems that Orochimaru had his own hidden village: the Hidden Sound. It was a small village, but as we can see numbers mean nothing in an ambush. It seems that the Hidden Mist had nothing to do with it, but Hidden Sand we are not so sure. Seeing as the Kazekage is dead, it's possible that the Sand were unaware of the plot. We won't know for sure until we get an answer for them. However...there is something that bothers me." Ibiki summarized as he stood up. He had personally interrogated at least ten prisoners, and he had gained much information. Kakashi's eyebrow rose. "There are more interesting things I would like to discuss with you Lord Hokage, but in a more private place." Kakashi's eyes widened.

"I see. Thank you for bringing this to my attention." Kakashi glanced at Danzo, who had an emotionless mask on.

_'I know you're up to something you snake.'_ Kakashi thought bitterly.

"What were our losses?" Kakashi asked stoically.

Shikaku sighed and said, "159 KIA, 34 crippled for life, and 70 still on the fence."

Kakashi nodded. "I see. Make sure we have a surplus of medical supplies." He was met with nods. An ANBU appeared next to Kakashi.

"Sorry to interrupt Lord Hokage, but we have urgent news." He stated quickly.

"What is it?" Kakashi asked, hoping it wasn't bad news.

"Sasori of the Red Sand, the Fifth Kazekage, is here to see you, sir." 

XxX

Kakashi approached Sasori slowly and calmly, with his two advisors right behind him. He stopped no more than a foot away, and they gazed at each other stoically.

"Hello Sasori." Kakashi greeted after a few moments.

"Hello Kakashi." He answered evenly. Behind Sasori stood his Genin team. Kakashi eyed them warily.

"What brings you to my village?" Kakashi asked, wanting to get to the point. He had no desire to play any games.

"I see you are in no mood to talk. Well then, forget the small talk. I am here to offer the possibility of an alliance between our villages." Sasori stated smoothly. Kakashi's eye widened.

"So then you didn't have anything to do with the invasion, did you?" Sasori nodded.

"No, our previous Kazekage was killed by Orochimaru on his way to the exams. I was already here…" Kakashi nodded sympathetically.

"I see. Well, I would love to begin negotiations with you, Kazekage, but I am extremely busy at the moment. Before I think of other villages I must think of my own." Sasori smiled slightly.

"Of course. That is the job of a Kage." Sasori seemed to be thinking for a moment. "What if I send some of my ninja over to help?" Kakashi seemed taken aback.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea…"

The Kazekage held his palm up. "I understand that you don't want to let foreign ninja into your village so quickly, but please trust me. Orochimaru killed our leader, and we are very pleased that you dealt with him. Our alliance would have many benefits, do not deny that Hokage." Kakashi still seemed skeptical. "Of course, we could also come to your aid if say…Hidden Rock were to invade…" Kakashi took a step forward.

"What did you say?" He asked seriously.

"You heard me. My spies don't lie."

Kakashi cursed in his head. Since Jiraiya had died, the Leaf spy network had become non-existent, since Hiruzen had died before he could pass it on to anyone. Something like this could not go unnoticed. It was too dangerous. Kakashi looked around. It was too out in the open for something like this.

'Okay, you've convinced me." The Hokage admitted quickly, earning a grin from the Kazekage. "You may send no more than fifteen ninja here, and one of them will have to be your liaison."

"May I leave my three students here now? I need no escorts, and Gaara has specifically requested to be on this mission." Kakashi looked at the Jinchuriki.

"Why should I let him into the village?" Kakashi asked with a tinge of anger in his voice.

Sasori sighed as he replied. "Gaara has changed thanks to that boy, your student. Somehow he healed Gaara's heart, and now Gaara fights for the benefit of others." Kakashi wasn't sure if he believed Sasori or not, but he had already been convinced he needed their aid. He wasn't going to refuse now.

"Fine. But until I know I can trust him, he'll be under 24-hour ANBU surveillance." Kakashi told him bluntly.

"I expected that anyway. Very well. Precious students of mine, welcome to your new home for awhile. But don't worry, you won't be alone for long." With that, Sasori was gone, and the Sand team stepped forward.

"Please, give us your orders Lord Hokage." Gaara requested apathetically, sending chills down Kakashi's spine.

XxX

**A/N: That's where I'll end it. How you all like Kazekage Sasori? Should have seen that coming, due to Tobi's death in this timeline. Also. how do you guys like Kakashi as the Fifth Hokage. Not too crazy, but he did kill Orochimaru, so that adds more credibility to his abilities. So this is the new arc. The Reconstruction/Root Arc. That's all I'll say. But as you can see, Kakashi and Danzo don't like each other which should be fun to see how that unravels. Anyway hope you all enjoyed this chapter and another shoutout to Senjuto. Till next time, peace. Also, fuck b-mod. I hate my school.**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Into the Ranks of Chuunin

Naruto, Sasuke and Shikamaru stood in front of the Hokage Mansion. Today was the day they were to officially be promoted. Kakashi had told them to come by early so he could speak with them as well. They entered the building and silently walked to his office. It was still pretty quiet at five in the morning, not being nearly as busy as during the day. When they walked into Kakashi's office, he was in a discussion with a masked man.

"Ah, right on time." Kakashi stated, greeting them with a wave.

"Your students are on time?" The ANBU asked in surprise.

Kakashi rolled his eye. "Yes Tenzo they are. Why wouldn't they be?" The ANBU coughed. "Whatever. Let's get down to business." Kakashi pulled out a scroll and unraveled it on his desk. He made a single hand seal, and three Chuunin flak jackets appeared. "Today you three are hereby promoted to Chuunin. May you serve the village with your life." They each grabbed a vest and slipped it on over their clothes. "They look good." Naruto smiled.

"It feels good." Kakashi nodded, and he became serious.

"There is another reason I asked you to come here." They looked at him expectantly, so he continued. "As you are well aware of, the Third Hokage died during the invasion. However, before the day of the exam he gave me something. It was a scroll that contained two things. One was a letter; the other was his Last Will and Testament, which stated that I was to become Hokage." Kakashi explained thoroughly.

"What did the letter say?" Sasuke asked.

"I was about to get to that. I'll read it now."

_Kakashi,___

_With the exam day closing in, I fear I do not have much time. Orochimaru's attack has had me worried, and it's not like my old student to only strike once. But there is someone else who has me worried as well. Danzo has been acting odd lately. He's been less argumentative and much more submissive ever since the start of the exams. It's not like him. He's also been disappearing for days on end unexpectedly to unknown places. I am sure his Root program is what is keeping his attention, but he's too good at covering his tracks. _

_I hate to accuse my old friend of treachery, but nowadays it seems like he never cared at all. Forgive me for putting you in such a position Kakashi, but for the good of the village, Danzo must be stopped. He has taken an unhealthy interest in your students, especially Naruto, and it would not surprise me if he already had a few plans in place. Use your students to your advantage; they will be extremely helpful against Danzo._

_-Hiruzen_

Naruto, Shikamaru and Sasuke stood silently, taking in the information.

"That's a little...unbelievable. But I believe it." Shikamaru stated. "Why does Danzo have an interest in us?"

Kakashi shrugged and said, "It's kind of obvious isn't it? Three prodigies, two of them clan heirs, the third being the son of a previous Hokage in addition to being the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails. Danzo measures the value of something in power and potential. You three are at the top of his list."

Sasuke shook his head. "But what could he do to us? Or with us?" Sasuke asked.

"Danzo has his own organization called Root. It is similar to ANBU, except they listen only to Danzo, and they will follow any order, no matter how unjust. He brainwashes them to follow his every command. Imagine what he could do with a puppet like a Jinchuriki." Naruto seemed discomforted.

"He brainwashes them? So they're all like...like mindless zombies?" Naruto asked softly.

Kakashi nodded. "Pretty much. You see why he's dangerous?" The new Hokage asked.

"An army of mindless servants at his command...I see what you mean." Shikamaru responded. "But I still don't get what this has to do with us."

"Well, your first assignment as Chuunin will give you the answer."

"We have a mission?" Sasuke asked in surprise.

"Yes. Your mission is to infiltrate Root and find a way to destroy it." All three of their eyes bugged out of their head.

"What?" Shikamaru asked in utter confusion. "How the hell are we going to do that?"

Kakashi turned to Tenzo. "That's where he comes in." The three boys eyed the ANBU.

"Hello boys. It will be a pleasure to work with you on this mission. Lord Hokage has told me much about you." The ANBU greeted, extending his hand. They each shook the offered appendage.

"This is Tenzo, Captain of ANBU, and my former ANBU squad mate. He's saved my life many times."

Tenzo chuckled. "Yes, but you saved mine many more, Captain."

Kakashi rolled his visible eye. "Modest prick." The Hokage cleared his throat. "Right. Anyway, Tenzo has a way to get you into Root. It's actually quite simple really, but you three will be able to get in without a hitch." Kakashi motioned towards Tenzo, who nodded.

"To Danzo, I am an agent of Root. He thinks that I am on his payroll, but my allegiance is one of the few things we have kept secret from Danzo. My position is that of a recruiter. I seek out ANBU operatives who may want to join Root, and after a little...convincing...they officially join. Unfortunately, my position keeps me stationed here, so I have no way of getting direct information on Root." Tenzo explained seriously. Team 7 felt a little intimidated by the man, and they were starting to see why Kakashi depended on him so much.

"Isn't that kinda like treason though?" Naruto asked. "I mean, you're handing our own men over to traitors, and you're feeding them Intel as well." Kakashi sighed.

"You're right in a way Naruto. But you must understand that Root is a secret organization that isn't supposed to exist. The ninjas that join their ranks, if their death is not faked, stay in the ranks of the Leaf ninja. Also, having this link is extremely useful, and it is not one we can afford to break. But it works out in this situation."

"As a recruiter, I can get you three into Root. Danzo will be skeptical at first, but if you play the part well, you can rise through the ranks easily. To him, you three have the potential to become perfect ninja, and he would never pass up that chance." Tenzo finished explaining. Team 7 stood silently; they were pretty shocked that they were being trusted with such an important task, but it was a little exciting too. Naruto stepped forward.

"Ok. Tell us what we have to do." 

XxX

"Well well, the students of the Hokage. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Team 7 stared emotionally at Danzo. The room they were in was quite dark, but the contours of the old ninja's face could be seen if you looked hard enough.

"We've heard about your organization. And we've heard you have the means to make us strong. Help us and we'll help you." Sasuke replied smoothly. Truthfully, his heart was hammering, but his facade was flawless.

"Straight to the point. Well then, I'd be more than happy to help you three unlock your true potential. But how do I know you aren't spies?" Danzo's eye narrowed. Sasuke activated his Sharingan in defiance.

"We're here for strength and nothing more. Your petty war with the Hokage means nothing to us."

Danzo's brow rose in amusement. "Good...you are determined. And your apathy is perfect. But do not ever disrespect me again, or I will have you killed."

Sasuke bowed. It was time to drive the nail through the coffin. "I apologize, Lord Danzo."

Danzo smirked, and turned around.

"Excellent. Root welcomes you." The lights of the building they were in flashed on, and Team 7 could see they were in a warehouse of some sort. "Now your test begins." About fifty black clad ninja with porcelain masks on stepped out of the shadows. Naruto, Sasuke and Shikamaru backed up into a tight triangle.

"He he, is that all?" Naruto asked, purposely acting cocky. "I took on a Tailed-Beast, this is nothing!" He shot forward, not wanting to let them make the first move. He planted a Rasengan on the closest ninja's chest, sending him flying into a large metal crate.

"Attack!" Danzo's command spurred the Root ninja into action. Weapons flew from every angle as they descended upon Team 7. The three Chuunin ducked and jumped through all the projectiles, and as the first enemy closed in, Sasuke activate his newest technique.

"Chikari!"

His double lightning blades sprung forth from his arms, and Sasuke jumped into action. He sliced the first attackers hand off and kicked him away. He jumped and spun around, his blades whirling like propellers, and sliced through three Root agents. As Sasuke landed he was forced to block two tanto slashes, one from behind and one from in front. He cut through their swords by momentarily flaring his chakra, causing the blades to grow and crackle with electricity. The weapons of the attackers snapped in half, and Sasuke cut through the two offenders like a hot knife through butter. He felt completely horrible for killing each of these men, but he had been warned...

_FLASHBACK___

_"Have you killed before?" It was a simple question really, especially in their line of work. But something struck Tenzo as...wrong...about asking three eight year olds that question.___

_"Yea...during the exams...five Genin." Shikamaru answered numbly. _

_Tenzo nodded.__"I see. Well that makes this easier. I want to warn you boys...this assignment is going to be gruesome. Root will do anything to accomplish their goals." Naruto shuddered. ___

_"What kind of things?" He asked wearily.___

_"Kill innocents, steal secrets, kill comrades...anything goes." Tenzo replied grimly. "You see why Danzo must be stopped." _

_Team 7 nodded, and Tenzo continued to brief them on the mission.___

_END FLASHBACK_

Sasuke knew he had to be ruthless to complete this mission, and if he had to kill his emotions, he would do it.

Shikamaru was busy assisting Naruto against a large portion of enemies.

"Shadow Sewing Technique!" He stood in the center of the action, his shadow forming around him and lashing out at any enemy close enough. Naruto was like a lightning bolt, dashing between his enemies. It was no surprise he had his father's speed, and although a good portion of Root ninja would be dead by the time this was over, Danzo was smiling. These three were killing machines; weapons to be used to ensure victory in war. The lights suddenly cut, and Team 7 regrouped, being able to see faintly because of Sasuke's blades. Sasuke himself had no problem seeing, thanks to his Bloodline, but Naruto and Shikamaru were impaired. Shikamaru smirked however.

"Shadow Strangle Technique." Since the room was pitch black, Shikamaru's shadow was as big as the warehouse, and everyone besides Naruto, Sasuke and Danzo were caught in the technique. Within moments, the remaining Root ninja were dead from asphyxiation. The lights came back on, and Danzo was clapping.

"Yes...you three will serve me well. Come, there is much for you to learn." 

XxX

The reconstruction of the village was progressing smoothly. The Sand ninja that Sasori had convinced Kakashi to allow into the city had been a tremendous help, as well as a morale booster. After the announcement that the Sand and Leaf had reinstated their treaty with the change in leadership, things had started to look up. Sasori had been right after all.

The door to Kakashi's office opened, and his eyes widened when he identified the visitor.

"Hello Lord Hokage." Kakashi stared into the cold, dead eyes of Gaara, but something seemed different about the insane Jinchuriki. He seemed...at peace.

"Gaara...to what do I owe the honor." Gaara's expression did not change, but he flinched ever so slightly.

"I would like to see Naruto Namikaze." Kakashi cocked his head.

"And what would you want with my student?" He asked skeptically.

"To thank him." This elicited a response from Kakashi, his eyes going wide. That didn't make any sense. Maybe Sasori was right. Maybe he was different.

"I see. Well, I haven't seen him all day; I'm a very busy man. When I do see him, I will have him come visit you." Kakashi told Gaara. The red head bowed and exited without another word. Kakashi got back to his work, knowing that trying to figure that boy out was a futile task. 

XxX

Team 7 was currently in Root headquarters, in Danzo's office. They had been shown the secret entrance to the base, which was stationed far beyond the village walls. After their surprise test, which they had learned had only been against Root Cadets, they had been issued new uniforms and masks, which they were wearing now. The uniform was a silk thin garment made out of chain mesh, with a layer of silk under it. It was meant to be worn under regular clothes, so that it could be unveiled at a moment's notice. The masks they got were quite different from normal Root masks. Sasuke's mask was the mask of Tragedy, while Shikamaru's was the mask of Comedy. Naruto's mask was split in half, one side being Comedy, one side being Tragedy. Danzo sat in front of them at his desk, staring them down intently.

"As of now, you are members of Root. Your loyalty is to me and only me. Your relationship with the Hokage, and everyone else for that matter, is a lie." Danzo stated forcefully. "Outside of Root you will use your real names, but inside these walls you are Tragedy, "he looked at Sasuke, "Comedy, "he looked at Shikamaru, "and Dos, "he turned to Naruto, "You must never tell anyone of your connections to Root. If you do, you will be erased." The three young boys nodded. "I cannot put you three through normal Root procedures; you are too important and Kakashi would notice. However, your relationship to Kakashi will prove to be an invaluable asset I'm sure." He stood. "Missions for members of Root like you are harder to set up, but with what you lack in freedom you make up for in skill."

Tragedy cocked his head, "What do you mean Lord Danzo?" He asked respectfully.

"Many members of Root have their deaths faked so that they can dedicate their full time to it. However, if you were to go missing, Kakashi would launch a full scale investigation. So you must live double lives."

A boy stepped out from beside Danzo. "This is Sai. He will be your contact with Root. He will give you all of your missions, and any messages or orders I have for you." Danzo explained as he introduced the pale boy. "Missions for Root will be completed during village-issued missions. This means that your regular missions must be completed in a much shorter time period, so as to not arouse suspicion. In order for that to be possible, the next three months of your time will be spent doing endurance and conditioning training. Sai will give you the specifics tomorrow morning. He will find you. Dismissed."

Team 7 exited the office, and Danzo turned to Sai. "Don't take your eyes off of them. I'm not sure this isn't a trap."

"Of course Lord Danzo." 

XxX

The night sky was decorated with bright stars. From the top of the Hokage Mountain, it was truly a serene sight. Sasuke, Shikamaru and Naruto were lying atop the face of the Third Hokage, contemplating the future.

"So we really are living a lie." Sasuke stated quietly. A cold breeze blew through the area, and a flash of heat lightning illuminated the sky.

"Seems that way. We're just the playing pieces in this game. Danzo and Kakashi are the players." Shikamaru responded lazily.

"This mission is gonna change us..." Naruto said suddenly. "Root is corrupt. Who's to say we don't become just like them?"

Sasuke grunted. "Why are you being so negative?" Sasuke asked irritably.

"I'm nervous. This assignment is way over our heads. We're not strong enough to compete with seasoned veterans. I just feel like...like I'm going to lose myself." Naruto explained sadly.

"We can do it." Naruto's head snapped towards Shikamaru. "Sensei wouldn't have given us the mission if he didn't think we could do it. I choose to believe in him. It's easiest that way."

Naruto's eyes widened. "I never thought of it that way..." he sighed, "I hope your right..." Shikamaru sighed.

"It doesn't matter now. We have a mission to do, and I don't plan on failing it." Sasuke stated firmly. "I don't know how bad Root really is, but if what Sensei and Tenzo said are true, we could be in for a rough time." Sasuke said forebodingly.

"Just don't lose sight of the end." Shikamaru advised.

Naruto nodded. "Yea. I never will." 

XxX

**A/N: That's another chapter done. So this is now the next Arc, and it should be fun. I'm really going to focus on their sanity, because Root will do the dirtiest things that most of the Leaf's ninja never take on. I really like the masks; Sasuke is the troubled one, Shikamaru is the lighthearted one, and Naruto has two halves. Also the codename Dos sounds cool and really corresponds to how Naruto's early life was. As usual, if you guys have any questions/suggestions, let me know and I'll answer as soon as possible. I give another shoutout to my beta Senjuto. Till next time, peace.**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Suicide of the Mind

Three months had passed, and each of the Genin on Team 7 had turned nine years old. The training had been extremely difficult, pushing them far past any limits they previously believed they had. But now they were extremely fit. Kakashi was being updated regularly via the Ichiraku's Ramen stand. The old man and his daughter were happy to help the Hokage with the mission, since they were so inconspicuous. Hell, Ichiraku's was Naruto's second home. Naruto's messages to Kakashi were always given to Teuchi when the boy paid, and Kakashi's responses always came with the meal. It was a pretty good system that Shikamaru had thought up.

Today was a big day. They were being issued two missions; one from the village and one from Danzo. Apparently, Danzo had influence in pretty much every part of the Leaf Village; he had somehow manipulated which mission the village would send them on. It was then when Team 7 realized why Kakashi wanted Danzo gone so badly. To have reaches that deep in the ninja system...

"Naruto. It is good to see you." Naruto turned around to see Sai leaning against the wall of the alley they were in.

"You too." Sai stepped forward and handed him a scroll. There was a tiny Leaf insignia on it, with a tree root wrapping around it.

"I hope you don't die on your first mission." Naruto quirked a brow. Sai's fake sincerity wad extremely blunt. He wasn't very good at communicating with people.

"Yea. I hope I don't too." Sai nodded and vanished. Naruto walked out of the alley and took to the roofs, quickly reaching his apartment, which had been rented for strict ROOT purposes. When he jumped through the window onto the couch, a trick he had perfected after hours of trial, Shikamaru and Sasuke were waiting for him.

"It went well?" Sasuke asked anxiously. Naruto nodded and held up the scroll. "Then what are we waiting for?" Naruto tossed the scroll to Sasuke, who unraveled it and studied it intently. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "No..."

"What?" Shikamaru asked as he snatched the scroll from the pale Sasuke. He read it over, and he reacted similarly.

"Guys...you're scaring me." Naruto stated quietly. He took the scroll from Shikamaru's outstretched hand and turned it so he could read it.

_Root Standard Procedure: BURN AFTER READING__Mission Type: Assassination__Targets: Domo Suki 36, Darenu Suki 19, Muzai Suki 9__Mission Summary: The Royal Family of the Land of Rivers is extremely Anti-Leaf. They must be eliminated so a new ruler with an open mind can take over._

Naruto looked at the paper in shock.

"It's a test...it has to be..." Shikamaru murmured.

"He wants to break us quickly." Sasuke stated, slightly recovered from the shock.

"He's got us right where he wants us. If we complete this mission, he'll trust us, but we'd be child murderers." Sasuke stood.

"If this is the kind of work that Root does...then they must be stopped. We can't fail this mission." Naruto nodded.

"We can never tell Sensei about what happened either. He'll feel terrible..." His teammates nodded, and the scroll combusted. The flames curled and danced as the scroll disintegrated, deciding their fate for them.

XxX

"Team 7, here for mission assignment." Shikamaru drawled as he lazily held his hand out to the man assigning missions. The man looked at him with a quirked brow before handing him a mission.

"C-Rank mission to the Land of Rivers." The man stated before he waved the boy away. Shikamaru walked out with his two teammates as another team walked in.

"What's it say?" Naruto asked as Shikamaru unraveled the scroll. He read it and shrugged.

"Seems pretty easy to me. We just have to escort a guy to the Land of Tea. Some half-important diplomat." The Nara explained. "We'll pick him up in an hour. The address of the place he's staying is on here." Shikamaru stopped in his tracks as he saw Kakashi walking down the hall the opposite way. "Hello Sensei."

"Hello boys." The Hokage replied. He eyed the mission scroll in Shikamaru's hand. "So you guys have a mission?"

"Yea...it's gonna be weird without you." Sasuke said quietly. Kakashi shrugged.

"I think you can handle it. You are my students after all." They smiled at that.

"Thanks Sensei." Naruto said happily. "We'll be done in no time." Kakashi nodded.

"Good. I expect you to report to me when your mission is over." They nodded, catching the glint in his eye. They left him to his devices, knowing that he was busy as usual. It was a little saddening that Team 7 was split from their sensei like this, but they understood his job came first. The village came first. The three Genin headed out to prepare for the mission, dreading their final goal.

XxX

A knock on the door alerted Taichi Kuwasaga that he had a visitor. He jumped up and quickly opened his door for the visitor.

"Taichi Kuwasaga?" Taichi was surprised to hear a voice, but he saw no one in front of him. "Down here big guy." His eyes widened as he looked down to see three children dressed like ninjas standing astutely.

"Hey there!" He answered cheerfully. "You little guys lost or something?" The three boys rolled their eyes.

"No sir. We are here to escort you back to your home." Shikamaru answered with a sigh. Taichi's eyes bugged out.

"You three are the team of ninja I hired?!" They nodded, and Taichi scratched his head. "Wow. How old are you guys?" He asked curiously.

"Nine." Sasuke answered simply.

"...Damn. And I thought I was young for my job." Taichi said surprisingly.

"How old are you?" Naruto asked happily, putting a smile on Taichi's face.

"Twenty-Two.". Taichi was a tall, lean guy with long, spiky red hair. He looked even younger than he really was because of his happy-go-lucky demeanor, but his intelligence was what got him his job. "I'm one of the youngest men on the Daimyo's council. I guess I can kinda relate to you." The three Chuunin nodded at this.

"We should get going sir. The sooner the better." Sasuke said professionally. Taichi nodded.

"Of course. And please, call me Taichi."

XxX

A cool breeze blew through the forest, sending a shiver through the treetops. Team 7 and Taichi were walking along a trail in the southern part of the Land of Fire. They had been walking for a few hours, and surprisingly they were making good time. By the end of the day they would be within a day's walk of the capital of the Land of Rivers.

It had been an easygoing mission so far, and while they were still alert, the three Chuunin felt somewhat relaxed.

"So Taichi," Naruto started, turning his head towards his client, "what's it like on the Daimyo's Council?" Taichi sighed.

"It's very stressful. Many of the nobles and leaders are greedy and only concerned with themselves. Many issues never get solved because of their greed. If it doesn't benefit them then it's pointless. I wish I could change things...but I'm too young and inexperienced to be taken seriously." He explained wearily.

"Don't say that." Naruto said quickly. "You have to do everything in your power to achieve your dreams. You can't let something stupid like age stop you." Taichi looked at Naruto in surprise.

"You make it sound so easy...is that what you did?" Suddenly, three black-clad assailants landed on the ground around them.

"Haha, we found you Namikaze! Prepare to pay for your father's sins in blood." Naruto, Sasuke and Shikamaru jumped around Taichi.

"I'll show you what I did Taichi." Naruto was in front of the ninja who issued his death threat in a moment, a kunai poised to kill. He sliced his throat and blood spurted onto his face, but he didn't blink. The two other ninja charged at him in a fury, but Shikamaru and Sasuke were on them in an instant, burying kunai into their brains. Sasuke approached the dead body of one, kneeling down to search him. He pulled out a headband with the Hidden Rock insignia emblazoned on it.

"Rock." Sasuke said disgustedly, shaking his head and pocketing the headband. Taichi stood, horrified and awestruck at the scene displayed in front of him. Naruto wiped his face with his shirt and sighed. "My father was the Fourth Hokage, and they were here to kill me for it." Naruto explained. "I never give up Taichi. No matter what. I bet you could change everything if you tried." Taichi Was speechless, and so Team 7 continued their trek, Taichi catching up to them after he recovered.

XxX

The capital of Land of Rivers was a nice city, not nearly as large as the Leaf Village however. There were a few districts surrounding the capitol building, which stood proudly in the center of the city. The streets were lined with people haggling with merchants and street performers looking for a quick buck.

"Welcome to my home, where the rivers run wild and the people run wilder." Taichi said with a chuckle. "The nightlife here is some of the craziest on the continent. It may not look like much compared to your village, but at night, the entire city is lit by neon lights. All sorts of bars, clubs, and restaurants open up, and hundreds of people flock to them. It gets a little crazy, but it's what makes this place home." Taichi sighed satisfactorily. "Well I guess this is where we part ways. I'll be sure to send a letter to your Hokage about your exceptional service." Shikamaru shook his head.

"That's not really necessary Taichi." The Nara responded quickly.

"I insist. You three have shown me that my age doesn't matter. I have to stop moping and start acting. I thank you for that." Team 7 looked at the ground simultaneously, earning a laugh from Taichi. "If you ever come to the Land of Rivers, please contact me if you need anything."

"Thank you Taichi. We will." Naruto stated with a smile. Taichi turned around and waved to them as he walked towards the capitol building. Shikamaru sighed.

"Now let's get this over with."

XxX

Taichi had certainly been right when he said the streets lit up at night. From the roof of the Daimyo's mansion, the view of the city was breathtaking to Team 7. But it couldn't break the looming feeling creeping over the Chuunin.

"What's the plan...Comedy?" Sasuke asked, slipping his Root mask on.

"Well, this shouldn't be too hard. The Daimyo's guards walk in twos from what we've seen. Their patterns are pretty predictable, so avoiding them shouldn't be too hard. The Daimyo's room, as well as his childrens' rooms, are on the top floor. We'll go in through the second floor window, and we'll be out before they detect anything." The other two Chuunin nodded. "Now...the last thing to decide is who goes where. There are three of us, and three targets..."

"I'll take the girl." Naruto said stoically.

"What? No I'm not letting you do that!" Sasuke whispered loudly. "I'll do it."

"Look none of us want to do it, and none of us want to let another do it either. There's no way we can come out of this the same...just don't argue about it." Shikamaru commanded solemnly.

"I'll do it." Sasuke whispered, and Naruto nodded.

"I'll take the Daimyo then."

"Then I have the son." Shikamaru stated with finality. "Let's get this troublesome shit over with." They hopped down onto the second floor balcony and silently opened the window. Shikamaru stuck his head in, and seeing that the coast was clear, he hopped through. The three Chuunin silently stalked through the halls, easily evading the guards with Naruto's Camouflage Technique. When they reached the top floor, they split off to take care of their targets. No one would find the bodies of the victims until the next morning. And by then, the assailants would be long gone. Only they would leave without their humanity, and their sins would plague them forever.

XxX

"It's done." From the shadows Danzo nodded.

"Yes I heard. Very well. It seems that I can trust you three." Danzo stood and walked in front of them. "I have big plans for the future, and you three shall be the coup de grace of my forces. I expect great things, and you will become stronger than you can imagine if you follow my guidance." The old man pronounced.

"Of course Lord Danzo." They answered unemotionally. A grin crossed Danzo's face, and a shiver ran down each of their spines, like a foreboding gust of wind.

XxX

**A/N: And that's 17. Damn I just realized how far this is coming along. It's almost as big as my other story...which I'll get back to eventually. I should be working on Path to Legacy, but this story is just really easy to write. It just flows out of me. Whatever. Anyway, so our heroes had to do some fucked up shit, so that was cool. This Arc is gonna be kinda short, cuz a time skip comes next chapter, and I'll probably wrap it up after that. After this Arc, the main, final plotline will begin, although it'll probably end up being almost as long as the rest of the story. So if you have comments, questions, hate mail, love mail, or suggestions, especially suggestions, let me know. I'm always willing to input something into my story if it makes sense and it's a fresh idea. So please, if there's something you would like to see, let me know. In fact, I would like it if everyone would send in a suggestion of who they would like Naruto to be paired with. I haven't really thought of many ideas for that, so I'm open to anything. Shoutout to Senjuto. Hope you enjoyed. Peace.**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: War Were Declared

It had been over three years since the attack on the Leaf Village. And after pouring their heart, soul, sweat, tears and blood into rebuilding the village, the Leaf Village was once again at its former glory. Kakashi's reign as Hokage was running smoothly, and by now the whole village was behind him. The ninja forces were once again at the status quo, and overall, life was good.

Of course, many terrible things happened behind the scenes. Officially, the village was on the fast track to reclaim its title as the strongest hidden village. Unofficially, after a secret invasion by the Hidden Rock, just as Sasori had warned, the ANBU forces were severly understaffed. Kakashi had sent his entire ANBU force out to meet the invasion, and after a bloody battle, the Leaf came out on top. Not without heavy losses though. The ANBU department was almost back at normal capacity, and Hidden Rock definitely wasn't going to attack again. Kakashi himself had been on the battlefield, directing the ANBU as perfectly as he used to. It was a crucial victory that had saved the village from even more hardship, and although it was a secret, everyone who did know was thankful enough for everyone in the village.

Naruto, Sasuke and Shikamaru were 12 now, and their reputations had grown. To the villagers, they were the Golden Team, the Second Coming of the Sannin, the pride of the village. They were breaking records at a breakneck pace, surpassing any expectations of them.

However, in Root, they were known as the 'One Act Show'. They were a terror on the battlefield, so much so that they were listed in the Bingo Book by their mask names. No one knew where their loyalties lied, but everyone knew of the threat they posed. The 'One Act Show' was a nickname given to them by one of the few to have actually survived an encounter with them. He called it that because it was like entertainment to the three boys. That and the fact that it only took one fight for them to kill you.

Currently, they were walking through the dark, dreary halls of Root HQ; Danzo had a mission for them. But this one was apparently extremely important, or sinister, because Danzo had never called them back after their conditioning training. It was too risky, as they were the Hokage's students, so Sai had been their liaison for the past three years. Whatever this was, it was big.

They entered Danzo's office soundlessly, and the old war hawk was sitting in his chair expectantly.

"Ah, I see you have arrived." They gave no response. "You three have grown quite strong over the years. I'd say you're three of my best, if not the best soldiers under my command. Never once have you failed me, and I don't believe you will start now. For this operation, there is no room for failure." Danzo stood and pulled a scroll out of his sleeve. There was a red dot in the center, meaning it was an assassination mission. Tragedy stepped forward and took the scroll, retreating back to his teammates to open it. As he unraveled it, it took all of his years of training to keep his body from flinching.

On the scroll was a photo of Kakashi Hatake, the Fifth Hokage.

"Sir...permission to speak freely?" Tragedy asked. Danzo's eyebrow quirked, but he nodded nonetheless. "How the hell do you expect us to beat Kakashi?" Danzo chuckled.

"Give yourself more credit boy. How many Jonin from villages of the other nations have you killed? How many men have died beneath your feet when you didn't even break a sweat." They didn't answer, but each of them knew the number. It was seared into their brain. "Do not let the title of Hokage intimidate you. Kakashi is powerful, but he is nowhere near the level of Hiruzen in his prime, or the Fourth." Tragedy nodded. "But that is not all. You see, your mission is actually just a small part of a much larger operation. Operation Overgrowth."

"What is Operation Overgrowth sir?" Comedy asked stoically.

"Operation Overgrowth will be the stroke of genius that will finally put me in the Hokage seat. This village needs a new leader, one that will bring our strength to unimaginable heights. I know I can accomplish this, but not with idealistic fools everywhere I turn. Now that Hiruzen is gone, and Kakashi is a ticking time bomb, i can make my move." Danzo explained with a grin full of anticipation.

"Not to rain in your parade, sir, but wouldn't a coup make the citizens, I dunno...distrustful of you?" Dos asked. Danzo narrowed his eyes.

"Watch your tone boy." Dos rolled his eyes behind his mask, and Danzo was definitely aware of that. "I have been planning this for years boy. I have taken everything into account."

"What is your plan?" Tragedy asked.

"I suppose I should tell you, since you are the lynchpin to this plan." Danzo pulled another scroll out of his sleeve and slammed it on the table, unfurling it swiftly. On it was a map of the Leaf Village with various markings and annotations on it. "As you can see, I've been thorough." In each of the three boys' minds, they were screaming at the top of their lungs at the traitor. He was insane. "The Leaf Village will not know of my attack, because I will not be attacking. You see, after Orochimaru's death, the Sound Village was deserted. All of his captives were set free, and most of his followers, who were mostly missing ninja anyway, deserted Sound. However, a small, loyalist faction still remains somewhere in the Land of Fire, and they would love nothing more than a chance at revenge." All of their eyes widened behind their masks.

"You're inviting them to attack us?" Comedy asked slightly surprised. He couldn't help but let that slip through. This was...he didn't even have a word for how bad it was.

"Yes." Danzo answered sternly. "But they are a small force, and they can be over come quickly."

"How did you get them to agree to that?" Dos asked in utter confusion.

"I may have told them that I would fight alongside them." It was silent for a moment, until Dos' shoulders twitched and he let out a muffled laugh. "I sent him some of my men as insurance, so he might actually believe me."

"Who is he?" Comedy asked curiously.

"Ah, the leader of the Orochimaru worshippers, Kabuto Yakushi. I've heard he's on par with Kakashi." Danzo said with a faint smirk.

"Who will deal with him?" Dos asked.

"Why, you of course. Right after you complete your mission. It's quite convenient really. Yakushi asked for a shot at Kakashi anyway." The old man explained.

"How are we going to stop the invasion then?" Tragedy asked.

"This is where it comes full circle. While the regular ninja corps will be caught off guard, my Root forces will be there to repel the defenders and save the day. My ninja in the Sound forces will also betray the Sound, effectively crushing the attack before it starts." He picked up the scroll and put it back in his sleeve. "Now, this will all take place in exactly seven days. Your mission starts at 2100 hours. The invasion will follow. Prepare for this, and remember, failure is not an option." 

XxX

"Do you think Sai still spies on us?"

"No, I would sense him."

"Good, then I can freak out." Naruto stood. "DID YOU HEAR HIM! HE'S LETTING FOREIGN NINJA IN FOR A SURPRISE ATTACK! WE HAVE TO KILL HIM! WE HAVE TO KILL HIM!" Naruto was breathing heavily, and was a little startled by the noise level.

"Ok calm down," Shikamaru said slowly, holding his hands up. "Yes, we should kill him. I think i would actually get much pleasure from killing him in a sadistic, fucked up way. But that's not the point." The Nara sighed. "Look, I've already come up with a plan. It's not too difficult really. Our mission is to kill Kakashi right? Well, we'll let Kabuto take care of that. He won't be able to take Kakashi. Meanwhile, we will kill Danzo, and the so called 'regular ninja corps' will be ready to clean up whatever is left after the battle." Sasuke and Naruto, who had indeed calmed down, nodded.

"Okay. Good. Write that up and send it to Kakashi. He can take care of the details. We need to spend the next week training. Something makes me doubt Danzo is just a frail old man." Sasuke nodded.

"Yea...he will pay. For Itachi..." Sasuke looked up at the ceiling. "C'mon, what are we waiting for?" 

XxX

Kakashi stared at the message in resignation and dread. He snapped his fingers, and an ANBU appeared behind him.

"Tenzo...we have a serious problem." He handed the message to Tenzo, who quickly scanned it.

"Indeed...that is disturbing. Do we trust this?" Kakashi sent a glare his way.

"My students are on our side." Tenzo nodded.

"Right. Sorry."

"It's fine. Right now I want you to run ANBU through Emergency Protocol Delta. The insurgents must not gain any ground. You'll know when to strike. Any Jonin you deem capable should be alerted and given an assignment. I'll leave that to you. I have some things I must research, as well as finishing my new technique. It's almost done...just a little more." Tenzo disappeared, and Kakashi stood. He disappeared from the office, off to the mountains to train. 

XxX

A cool breeze blew through the quiet village. The day was winding down now, and everyone was migrating home. Some shop owners would stay open late on a nice summer night like this, in case any late night walkers were in need.

A single man stood atop the Hokage Mountain, with a group of about 200 ninja behind him. He had snuck into the village thanks to the secret passageway, which Danzo had gladly made accessible to him. A woman with purple hair stepped forward.

"Are you ready Kabuto?" The silver haired man nodded.

"Yes. We will get our revenge tonight Guren. You can be sure of that. But first..." He snapped his fingers, and immediately, the 25 or so ninja that Danzo had lent Kabuto dropped dead. "...let's dispose of these rats. Danzo must be a fool if he thinks he can trust me." He shrugged. "Oh well. Cause as much destruction as you like." The Sound ninja rushed past him into the village, where Root forces fell upon them immediately. They had expected it though, and quickly the battle spread. War had once again swallowed up the Leaf, from both the inside at out. 

XxX

"It's time." Danzo stated stoically, staring at his contingent of Root ninja. "Soon the invaders will rush over that mountain. They must be annihilated before anything happens to the village. Your sacrifice will benefit the village infinitely." The Root ninja stood still. They were pretty much dead inside, so they had no fear of death. "Let Operation Overgrowth begin." 

XxX

Tenzo stood in front of his ANBU forces.

"You wanna know what's out there? A bunch of guys we already beat, and a bunch of guys who think they're us." A few chuckles spread through the room. "Now I don't know about you, but I hate sore losers, and I certainly fucking hate traitors. Those Root shitheads are nothing compared to us, and we're gonna show them that. I'm putting a bounty on every damn wannabe's head. For every mask I get, you get 500 ryo. Why you ask? Because I would blow Kami himself if he smote every single one of those cocksuckers." More laughs erupted, as well as a few 'fuck yea's. "Your village is at stake. Don't let them take it from you. Let's go show em how real ANBU do the job." With shouts of affirmation, the ANBU scattered to their positions with high morale and great spirits. 

XxX

"This is it boys." Kakashi said with finality. "You sure you don't want to take on Kabuto?" Naruto shook his head.

"Danzo is ours. It's personal." Kakashi's brow raised, but he shrugged.

"Suit yourself." Explosions started to rock the village, and all of them tensed. "Showtime. Get to it boys." They nodded and dashed off the roof, straight for Danzo himself. Ad they left, Kabuto landed on the roof.

"So you're expecting me are you? Well, no matter. I'll just have to kill you the old fashioned way." Kakashi turned around and shook his head.

"If I killed your master, what do you think you can do to me?" Kabuto started to laugh.

"Fool...i'm stronger than Orochimaru now. All of his techniques are mine, and I've even improved them." Kakashi drew his blade, and pointed it at Kabuto.

"It doesn't matter. I'll kill you because I have to. Hope you don't have any regrets." Kabuto laughed as Kakashi charged at him, drunk on thoughts of revenge and power. 

XxX

"Look...there's fighting going on." Temari looked over at her younger brother, who was staring out the window. "I think we're under attack." Kankuro stated. Gaara walked into the room.

"Then we help." He disappeared in a swirl of sand, and with two shrugs, Temari and Kankuro were right behind him. 

XxX

"So...in the end you betray me." Naruto, Sasuke and Shikamaru stood behind Danzo, who was currently in one of Root's secret warehouses.

"We were never on your side to begin with!" Naruto shouted. "You're gonna pay for all the fucked up shit you've done over the years! I won't let a monster like you run loose!" Danzo chuckled and turned around.

"Monster? Me, a monster?" His chuckle turned into full blow laughter. "You are the monster here Jinchuriki! How many men have you killed? How many civilians have died by your blade? You are the monster Naruto Namikaze!" Danzo ripped his robe off, revealing his arm, which was engulfed by an odd metal contraption. He made a few one handed hand seals and swiped his hand up the contraption, loosening the bolts and sending it crashing to the ground. His arm was wrinkly and pale, and it looked like there was a face on his shoulder. But the most eerie part was the fact that numerous eyes had been implanted into the skin on his arm. Sharingan eyes to be specific. He then ripped the bandages off of his head, revealing a Sharingan eye.

"You...you bastard!" Sasuke shouted in a rage. "You used Itachi to get all those Sharingan didn't you!" Two blades of lightning extended from Sasuke's hands, and they exploded with electricity. "I'll kill you!" 

XxX

**A/N: That's done. Sorry these are so short. This is just a short arc, and it won't take long to get through. So civil war has broken out. As you can see, its pretty intense. The title is a joke. Anyone who watches Futurama will get it. Anyway, i don't think I have much to say. I mostly just gave you all the info on what happened. The time skip will be discussed later in the story, because you'll see that Root has fucked Team 7 up a little. You'll see the change more as the story progresses. The last few paragraphs with the seperate armies happened at the same time, if that confused any of you. Next comes all of the fights, which there will be 4 i think. Maybe 3. It depends if i expand on the largest battle: Root vs Sound vs ANBU. Anyway, as usual comments questions blah blah blah I'll answer. Shoutout to Senjuto. Hope you enjoyed. Peace.**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Wrath and Will

Lights flickered in the warehouse as Sasuke charged at Danzo, Sharingan blazing. The old man pulled out two kunai, and they erupted with fiery green chakra. As they clashed, twelve Root ninja jumped down around Naruto and Shikamaru, and the lights flickered out. Naruto and Shikamaru threw their masks off and charged forward, meeting their former 'comrades' in the darkness.

Sasuke and Danzo were exchanging blows, their chakra charged weapons emitting brilliant blue and green sparks with each clash. Sasuke's blades whirred around like propellers, leaving traces of blue lightning in the darkness. Danzo's kunai zipped around like fireflies, barely deflecting Sasuke's attacks as the Uchiha struck from every angle. Vengeance danced in his eyes with every slash; he wanted Danzo to pay.

Meanwhile Naruto and Shikamaru were blindly defending themselves from Danzo's elite guards. From the way they were fighting, both boys could tell that these were the cream of the crop; the best Root agents Danzo could pick. And until they were defeated, Sasuke would have to deal with Danzo alone.

"Let's hurry this up Shikamaru!" Naruto shouted as he sliced through a Root ninja's jugular. The Nara heir nodded as tendrils of shadow sprouted up around him. They each launched into the darkness, capturing a Root ninja and dragging them back to Shikamaru. The Root agents struggled against their shadowy binds as Naruto approached them. He counted ten.

"There's one more." Said Root agent silently fell from the ceiling in front of Naruto and slashed his face with a tanto, sending a streak of blood through the air. Naruto fell backwards with a shout of anger, and Shikamaru quickly snapped the necks of his captives before sending his shadows at the Root agent. Somehow, even in the darkness, he was able to dodge every single tendril with practiced ease. Shikamaru cursed and recalled his shadow as Naruto pushed himself off the ground. A crimson gash stretched from the bridge of his nose to under his earlobe, just beneath his eye. He wiped the blood away and spit on the ground.

"Where is he?" Naruto asked angrily. "I'm gonna get him back for that." Suddenly, he appeared in front of them with his tanto pointed straight at them.

"Traitors are to be exterminated." He said unemotionally. Naruto shook his head.

"Should've known it was you Sai." The Root ninja took his mask off, revealing Sai's pale face.

"You won't be able to defeat me. My sole purpose in Root was as an assassin. Your assassin to be exact. I know everything about the way you fight, and I know how to beat you." Sai explained. Naruto scoffed.

"That's stupid. You think I don't have a few tricks up my sleeve?" He cracked his neck and sighed. "Looks like we're goin all out Shikamaru. We'll finish this minnow off and deal with the big fish after. Sound good?" There was a pop, and then an explosion of wind erupted from Naruto. A thin layer of wind whirled around his body, ruffling his hair and his clothes.

"I hear you..." Shikamaru said reluctantly. Wisps of shadow smoke curled into the air around him until they completely engulfed him, making him one with the darkness. "Troublesome." His voice eerily echoed from all corners of the room, making Sai take a step back.

"Hmm...this is unexpected." Sai said, pulling a scroll out of his pocket. He pulled a brush out of a compartment in the scroll and dipped it in ink, unfurling the scroll as he did. "Ink Colossus!" With a few graceful strokes, two giant ink colossuses with shields and swords emerged from the scroll around Sai. "But it is nothing I can't handle." 

XxX

Kabuto laughed as he flew through a bunch of hand signs and slammed his hand on the ground. In an explosion of smoke, a white, twelve foot long cobra appeared around him, and it hissed angrily at Kakashi, the force of it blowing his hair back. The Hokage jumped away as the snake crashed down in front of him, caving in the ceiling of the Hokage mansion. Kakashi landed on the side of the Hokage mountain and held up his hand in a sign.

"Boom." The top of the Hokage mansion lit up with exploding tags, and it exploded in a spectacular fashion. The top floor completely caved in, but surprisingly the rest of the building stood, even though it was most likely built to withstand such attacks. Kakashi was just glad he had evacuated the building in preparation for this. As the smoke cleared, Kakashi saw the white cobra curled in a ball, not a burn or scorch on it. "Well no shit..." Kakashi said in annoyance. The snake uncurled, revealing an unharmed Kabuto.

"Did you just destroy your house? That's kinda funny..." Kabuto said with a chuckle. "You'll have to do better than that." Kakashi's eyes narrowed and he dashed at Kabuto, both hands blazing with lightning. He smashed into the ground where Kabuto had stood not moments ago, knocking the snake away with a pulse of lightning. Kabuto came from behind him and slashed at him with the Chakra Scalpel, but Kakashi rolled under it just in time. He immediately identified the Chakra Scalpel with his Sharingan, and he deactivated his Double Raikiri. Kabuto smirked and jumped at him, surprised when he easily sliced Kakashi's jugular. Kakashi erupted into pillars of lightning that surrounded Kabuto and converged on him, zapping him with the intensity of ten storms. Kakashi appeared behind the snake and sliced its head off with his Double Raikiri, easily cutting through the Earth Armor his Sharingan had helped him see. It dispelled instantly, and Kakashi approached the smoldering rebel slowly. Kabuto slowly got up, coughing heavily as he wiped his face.

"I fell for that...but it won't happen again. I'm going all out now. Prepare to die Hokage!" Kabuto screamed in rage as he exploded with killing intent. He fell to his knees as eight giant white snakes exploded from his back. Kakashi cursed repeatedly as the creature grew to its full height. It was about as big as the Hokage mountain.

"Ok...I can do this. I have to do this." Kakashi whispered to himself. "I have to do this." He repeated softly. "If Sensei did it, then and I can too...right? 

XxX

Sand whirled around the battlefield as Gaara ruthlessly slaughtered the invaders by the dozen. The Sand's Jinchuriki calmly stood in the center of the chaos, his two siblings right behind him. Temari was launching blasts of wind at her foes, scattering and slicing them to pieces, while Kankuro's puppets darted to and fro, silencing their victims. A giant, crystal shuriken zipped at the siblings, imbedding itself into a wall of sand erected inches from Gaara's face. Guren dropped down behind them and slashed at Temari with a shining, crystal blade attached to her arm. Temari threw her fan up in defense, and a loud clang echoed through the air as blade met steel. Guren jumped back as a tower of sand erupted from the ground, shaping itself into a claw. The claw twirled in the air and dove at Guren, who flew through a string of hand seals.

"Crystal Style: Crystal Barrier!" A dome of crystal formed around her as the claw harmlessly collided into it. She dispelled the barrier and scoffed. "What are Sand ninja doing helping the Leaf maggots?" Gaara stepped forward.

"Friends help their friends. And Naruto is my friend. So I will help him by destroying you!" He held his arm out, and sand flew to it like a magnet, encasing his arm in a giant sand claw. Temari and Kankuro took a step back.

"Gaara..." Temari mumbled nervously. The red head turned his head around.

"I'm still in control...I will help protect the village. I just want...redemption." Temari saw the pleading look in his eyes, and she nodded. Kankuro seemed surprised before nodding as well. Gaara turned back around and charged at Guren, his claw reared back for a massive blow. He could redeem himself now, and he wasn't gonna pass that chance up. 

XxX

Naruto dashed at Sai with blistering speed, his wind armor propelling him forward. In an instant, one of the ink titans melted into a puddle and slithered across the ground, stopping in front of Sai and reforming. Naruto impacted with the shield, sending a shockwave through the earth from the force of the collision. The other ink giant rose up behind Naruto and stabbed at him, but the blonde was extremely agile with his armor, and he slipped away before he was skewered. The two titans turned back to Naruto and swung their swords in wide arcs, firing off blades of energy at the boy. The energy blades shredded the stone floor as they sped at Naruto, leaving trails of destruction in their wake. Naruto jumped through them as they cornered him, his wind armor barely softening the jarring impact. He had no time to recover as Sai was upon him quickly, his tanto flashing in and out of Naruto's vision as the blonde desperately weaved through the slashes. Sai was suddenly yanked away from Naruto by a long shadow tendril that hoisted him into the air and flung him like a ragdoll. He flew into one of his ink creations harshly, and rubbed his head in pain. A shadowy figure emerged from the ground next to Naruto, letting out a yawn. The figure had an amorphous shape, as if it were wearing a robe, and piercing yellow eyes like an animal. There was a...gentle feel to its movements.

"Those things are troublesome hm?" Shikamaru stated. "We need to take them out. I can't do anything with them around."

"You deal with Sai. I can take care of those things." The shadow sunk back into the ground.

"They're all yours." Naruto held his hands up in his signature sign and smirked.

"Shadow Clone Technique!" Twenty Narutos appeared around the original, and they all charged at once. The two titans, in perfect synchronization, got down on one knee and rammed their shields forward, catching the first line of Narutos off guard. Four dispelled as the rest jumped into the air, only to be met by Sai, who was flying on an ink bird. He killed two clones before a net made of shadow weaved itself in front of him, and started to wrap him up as he was caught in it. Sai tried to stay calm, but it felt like freezing cold snakes were slithering across his body, and it was quite horrifying. He quickly substituted himself with an ink clone, which splattered into nothingness as the shadows consumed it. Naruto and his clones formed together into two groups as they rose through the air, over each of the titans. As they came to their peak, they started to charge a Rasengan in the real Naruto and one other clone's hand. Each clone pushed all their chakra into the sphere of energy, causing them dispel, and the Rasengan to swell. Naruto's face was brightly lit from the tremendous amount of energy as he and his one remaining clone plummeted toward the ink colossuses. Sai's creations raised their shields as the swirling masses of chakra bared down on them.

"Giant Rasengan!" Dust kicked up as the Giant Rasengans pushed against the titans. Slowly, the titans slid backwards, not strong enough to hold them back. Naruto let out an angry shout as he pushed all of his power into the attack, making it grow even larger and spin faster. His clone did the same, and in seconds a large explosion rocked the warehouse, creating a large crater in the middle. The building shook as it collapsed around them, burying everyone under piles of rubble. 

XxX

The fireworks display between Sasuke and Danzo grew wilder as Sasuke's rage intensified. He was just an after image at this point, but Danzo had no trouble keeping up, thanks to his stolen Sharingan. Sasuke stopped his barrage after realizing he was getting nowhere, and quickly dispelled his blades. The Uchiha flashed through hand seals as he jumped into the air.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Technique!" Sasuke shot out a stream of tiny flames that rained down upon Danzo. The Root leader countered with a gust of heavy wind, blowing the flames away quite easily. Danzo then hurled a barrage of wind-powered shuriken at Sasuke, who jumped back and slashed at the shuriken, his lightning sword flashing and sending a wave of electricity through the shuriken and straight at Danzo. The elder ninja didn't move, and Sasuke's eyes widened as his attack connected, and Danzo's legs were removed from his body.

_'I got him!'_ Sasuke couldn't believe his luck. He had actually killed Danzo! _ 'So he was just all talk...'_ Sasuke's grin turned into a frown as Danzo's remains seemed to fade out of existence.

"What the hell?"

"It'll take more than that to kill me runt." Sasuke jumped around and his eyes widened.

"You...you should be dead." Danzo chuckled.

"Do you three really think you stand a chance against me? You're trying to play the heroes in some foolish knightly romance, but your efforts will be in vain. You cannot-"A large explosion rocked the building, and Sasuke turned to see the giant ink titans shielding themselves from two ridiculously large Rasengan. When they grew even more, Sasuke marveled at the amount of energy, before it backfired and Naruto's clone dispelled, not having the chakra to sustain itself. The Rasengan, now under no one's control, spun out of control and exploded, destroying the ink giant. The building started to shake, and soon pieces of the ceiling were falling, and the walls started to crumble. Sasuke braced himself as debris rained on him, only hoping that he survived this. He would avenge Itachi today. As unconsciousness took him, he swore he would. 

XxX

"Godammit Naruto...did you have to bring the entire place down?" Shikamaru asked wearily as Naruto pushed a few two by fours out of the way, freeing the Nara. Naruto shrugged.

"It worked didn't it?" Naruto asked, pointing over Shikamaru's head. The Nara stood up and looked at where Naruto was pointing, and he sighed as he saw. Sai's body lay still on the ground, like a fallen statue. His head however was buried under a piece of concrete from the ceiling.

"Yea well it almost worked too well." Shikamaru mumbled as he rolled his eyes. "Where's Sasuke?" The two boys began to search for their buried teammate when Danzo appeared out of thin air. "What the..." Another large piece of rubble moved, and Sasuke climbed out, covered in scratches and bruises, much like his teammates. The Uchiha joined his teammates and the three of them gazed at Danzo intensely. The old ninja smirked.

"I'll never die to the likes of you. I can change my fate to whatever I want it to be!" He laughed and flew through hand seals, slamming a bloody hand onto the ground. "Summoning Technique!" A large tapir-like creature appeared on the remains of the building, dwarfing everything near it. Team 7 tensed as the creature raised its trunk and trumpeted into the air, its cry echoing across the village.

"Why does everyone have some sort of creature that is hundreds of times bigger than us? I swear its bullshit..." Shikamaru complained as he pulled out some explosive tags.

"C'mon, Gaara was bigger than that." Naruto stated nonchalantly. "Let's just hurry this up so the village doesn't get destroyed more." Sasuke, and with a reluctant sigh Shikamaru, nodded and ran at the summon. Danzo calmly stood atop it, not even slightly worried about being defeated.

"Attack my summon! Show them my wrath!" At Danzo's command, the tapir-like creature reared its head and blasted Team 7 with gale force winds. They channeled chakra to their feet, but the force of the gust was too strong, and they were blown backward. While flying through the air, Naruto quickly formed his signature hand sign in a desperate move.

"Shadow Clone Technique!" A giant safety net of Narutos safely snagged the three boys out of the air and gave them a moment of respite.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called out over the roaring wind. "On my signal shoot a fireball into the air!" Sasuke squinted his eyes but nodded, getting ready for the signal. Another group of Shadow Clones grabbed Naruto off of the net and started to swing him around, as if they were a lasso. Naruto pushed the queasy feeling to the pits of his stomach as he flew through the air.

"Now!" All of the Naruto's shouted at once, and Sasuke blurred through hand seals.

"Fire Style: Grand Fireball Technique!" Sasuke spat one of the largest fire balls he had ever conjured into the air.

"Wind Style: Gale Armor!" As Naruto's wind armor activated, his clones flung him towards the summon creature, and the fire ball suddenly flew in his path. Time seemed to stop as Naruto's body entered the ball of flames, sparks flying as he made contact. Then a second later a ball of swirling fire shot out the other side, straight at the Baki. The force of the Baki's attack started to slow him down, but Naruto would not be deterred. "Wind Style: Eye of the Almighty!" Naruto's body exploded with wind chakra as he activated his completed flying technique. The fire around his body exploded into a trail of blazing flame as he crashed into the Baki, earning a cry of pain from the summon. Danzo was surprised by the ridiculous attack, and before he knew it, his creature was gone and he was at a disadvantage once more. The crater left behind by Naruto 's attack was extremely devastating, but the only thing it had destroyed were the already destroyed buildings. Now, a lifeless crater marred the village's image.

"He just..."

"Mhm."

"And he's not..."

"Hn." Shikamaru sighed.

"The shit he thinks of..." 

XxX

Guren helplessly dodged the giant arm of sand that relentlessly hammered away at her with strike after strike. She was barely dodging each one, and she could tell she was getting tired. Meanwhile Temari and Kankuro were covering their brother's back, eliminating any enemies who strayed too close. Guren had scratches and cuts all over her body, while Gaara had barely a scrape. In his demonic state, Guren simply couldn't keep up with him; not just because of his enhanced skills, but because of the aura he gave off as well. It was worse than Orochimaru's, and that was saying something.

"Ugh...of course I'd have to encounter a Jinchuriki..." Guren mumbled as she continued to dodge for her life. Finally she stumbled, and Gaara whacked her away, sending her rolling across the ground. The sand ninja pursued her quickly and showered her with a barrage of Sand Shuriken, causing her to bleed all over her body. She formed a Crystal Barrier as Gaara's fist crashed down in front of her, inches away from her nose. Spider cracks inched through the barrier as Gaara added pressure to his arm, a wild smile adorning his face. "This can't be the-"she was cut off by a loud roar from Gaara, and he brought his arm back and smashed it through the barrier, crushing Guren against the ground. Gaara started to breathe frantically before his breaths calmed and the sand fell away from his body. Guren's remains were buried under the pile of sand, although Gaara was sure there wouldn't have been much to see. He looked over at his siblings as they continued to defend their allies' home, and he decided to aid them. After all, they were family. 

XxX

The behemoth, eight-headed snake repeatedly lashed out at Kakashi, each of its heads striking in quick succession. Kakashi leapt all around the village, sweat pouring down his face. The giant creature was extremely aggressive, and Kakashi was being pressed too hard to think of a battle plan. _'This can't be the end...I won't let it!'_ Kakashi leapt through the attacks, all the way to the top of the Hokage Mountain. He was eye to eye with the snake now, and he gave it the most hate-filled glare he could muster. The snake hissed and spat a mouthful of acidic saliva at the Hokage, but he merely took a step back, letting the attack splatter harmlessly in the end.

"I guess I'll have to thank Naruto for this. He did inspire it after all..." Kakashi took a deep breath and formed a familiar hand seal. "Shadow Clone Technique!" About a hundred Kakashis appeared behind him, and they all raised their hands to the sky. Kakashi followed, and soon all of their hands were crackling with electricity. Sparks of blue lightning danced through the air, and dark clouds rolled in over the village. Thunder boomed through the village as cracks of lightning illuminated the darkness that had overtaken the village long ago. 

XxX

The fighting between the ANBU and Root ninja ceased when the thunder clouds rolled in. The ominous feeling they felt let them know immediately that a person was causing this. Whoever it was, was about to unleash something powerful, and both sides prayed it was theirs. 

XxX

"Lighting Mega Beast Rampage!" The electricity from the clones and Kakashi sparked wildly and shot into the air. A large, wolf like creature made of lightning flew through the air and dove at the giant snake as bolts of lightning rained down from the sky, causing chaos throughout the evacuated village. The wolf bared its fangs and ripped into the snake, exploding in an electrical fury. The snake cried out in agony as it was cooked to death, its blood boiling all of its organs. The form slowly shrunk away back to a dying Kabuto, who could barely cough. Kakashi's clones dispersed, and he collapsed to his knees, knowing his enemy was beaten. A smile wormed its way to his face. '_I_ _did it! Haha! Now for my students to show me what they're made of.'_ Kakashi looked up over the village as a giant ball of fire slammed into a giant Baki summon, dispelling it instantly, and probably killing it. Kakashi's eye widened. _'I couldn't quite tell, but I think that was a person. Dammit Naruto...'_ He of course knew that his student was the only guy insane enough to...well to do something like that. But a grin still remained; Naruto wouldn't be out after something like that. They still had plenty of fight left in them. 

XxX

"This is meaningless!" Danzo shouted at Naruto, who was having a little trouble standing. He had hit the ground pretty damn hard, and his body was pulsing with an aching feeling. Still, he steeled himself and stood, glaring at Danzo.

"Shut up! You don't know meaningless! Meaningless is the assassination of a 6 year old girl to establish political alliances! Meaningless is the destruction of an entire town to kill one man! Meaningless is...is..."he was breathing hard now, his anger rising to the surface. Danzo only laughed.

"You're pathetic. Your father was an idiot for sealing the fox in such a weak minded fool. In fact, he was more pathetic than Sarutobi was in his elder years." Naruto snapped, and his vision went red. Red chakra bubbled out of his skin and surrounded him in a cloak, giving him the appearance of a fox.

"I'll kill you for saying that! My father and the Third were two of the best leaders the Leaf Village ever had!" In moments, Sasuke and Shikamaru appeared at their teammate's side. Shikamaru whistled.

"Ohh, you did it now Danzo. Now it's just a matter of how long you last." The Nara stated with an uncharacteristically cocky smirk. "Don't act like you haven't heard the stories." Danzo merely shook his head.

"Ahh, but you see, you are wrong there, Shikamaru." Said ninja frowned. "I possess something that only two people before, and only one currently alive, have ever possessed. You're demon state doesn't scare me. Come Jinchuriki, let me seal your fate." Naruto roared and appeared in front of Danzo quicker than you could blink. A beam of wood shot out of the ground and snatched Naruto's foot as he pulled back to attack, and slammed him into the ground. Three more beams of wood burst from the ground and lurched at Naruto. Naruto bellowed in fury, and a pulse of red chakra exploded outward, completely shattering all of the wood. Danzo seemed surprised, so he retreated and started a long string of hand seals.

"Hokage Style Elder Technique: Tenth Edict-"he was interrupted when a giant rock, courtesy of Shikamaru and his Earth Style: Scatter Shot Technique, crushed him. Shikamaru grinned, until Danzo reappeared completely unharmed.

"How is he doing that?" The Nara shouted in frustration. "Fuck! What is going on!"

"It's his Sharingan." Shikamaru's head snapped to Sasuke. "One has closed every time he died. I don't know what kind of technique it is, all I know is that we need to shut all of those eyes!" Naruto snarled and jumped at Danzo, attacking him with all his might. He relentlessly chased the elder ninja with devastating strikes of demonic chakra. Occasionally he would slash Danzo to pieces, only for the man to reappear unscathed. It was infuriating, and it only caused Naruto to attack with more fury. Sasuke and Shikamaru analyzed the technique as The Sharingan on Danzo's arm started to close one by one. Finally there was one left, the one is his eye, and Danzo was cursing his misfortune.

"This is ludicrous. To be beaten by children...no...I will not allow it!" Danzo's Sharingan morphed into a different shape, causing Sasuke to gasp in shock.

"No...not the Mangekyo..." Instead of the three tomoe, Danzo's eye pattern was fully connected, and it slightly resembled a six point star, except the tips were tiny, open circles.

"What is that?" Shikamaru asked, noticing Sasuke's distress.

"Something really bad. I'm the only one who might have a chance now. We need to get Naruto out of there before Danzo takes control of him!" Shikamaru didn't need an explanation, because if Naruto switched sides, it would be game over. Shikamaru knew of only one technique he could use to get Naruto in time, but it would have serious ramifications. He went with his gut, and immediately he flew through hand seals.

"Leaf Secret Clan Technique: Shadow Emergence." As Naruto closed in on Danzo a plume of darkness rose around Naruto and swallowed him up. The darkness sunk into the ground and re-emerged next to Shikamaru. The shadows faded away to reveal a sleeping Naruto, who was unusually still. Shikamaru sighed and nodded at Sasuke, who charged at Danzo. If he was out of this fight, then he had to at least watch Naruto's body. After all, he was the one who put the blonde in this state.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was flashing through hand seals as he charged his old boss, intent on finishing this fight.

"Lightning Style-"the air around Sasuke started to warp, and he had the odd sensation that he was sinking in on himself. _'What is this feeling...it's as if I'm being sucked into something. This must be because of his Mangekyo Sharingan. I need to get away from this now!'_ Sasuke jumped away from the vortex, and sighed in relief as he felt normal again. He continued to jump around, avoiding the vortex at all costs as he retried his technique. "Lightning Style: Illumination!" Sasuke jumped into the air and dove down at Danzo, a blade of lightning extending from his reach. He sunk it into the ground right in front of Danzo, and in a flash of light, Danzo was engulfed by a pyramid of lightning. His screams could be heard as the electricity seared through his veins, the walls of the pyramid closing in on him. Finally the pyramid could shrink no longer, and it exploded brilliantly, showering blue and silver sparks everywhere. Danzo's body was nowhere to be seen, but that was to be expected. It was surely vaporized by the force of that attack. Sasuke fell to his knees, a huge grin on his face.

_'I did it Itachi! The one who did this to us has finally paid the price!'_

XxX

"What's wrong with him?" Sasuke asked, noticing Naruto's unconscious form. Shikamaru sighed and shook his head.

"I'll explain later. I only wanna do it once. Right now, I need you to get him to a hospital. If they've set up a Triad, tell them he's a yellow, and he needs a room immediately. I need to get my dad." Sasuke stared at him in confusion, but nodded nonetheless. Sasuke picked up Naruto's limp body and slung him over his shoulder. They both went their separate ways, as the chaos in the village waned down to naught. The fighting was over now, and once again it was time to rebuild. 

XxX

Extra Content: Naruto's Gale Armor

"Wind Armor? What gave you that idea?" Kakashi asked his blonde student.

"I read something about the Fourth Raikage using something called Lightning Style Armor. It said that with it, he could increase the speed of his nervous system and make his reaction time, agility, and all that other stuff faster. They said the only person faster was my dad." Kakashi nodded.

"Yes, your father was faster. You know, they actually encountered each other many times during the last war. Of course, this was before either of them were Kage, but they certainly had reputations. The men who witnessed their battles said it was a sight to behold, if you could follow their movements." Naruto listened intently as Kakashi described it. He always loved hearing about his father.

"So even with the Lightning Armor, the Raikage was slower than my dad?" Kakashi nodded.

"Yep. Your father was unnaturally fast. Even without his Flying Thunder God Technique, only the strongest ninja would have a chance at matching your father's speed. He was the Yellow Flash." Naruto nodded.

"And I'm gonna surpass him. But what can I do with the wind element that will help me. The Raikage's Lightning Armor has multiple uses. Besides protection, it increases his speed. What will wind do for me?" Kakashi chuckled.

"Well first, you need to work on getting the armor working. Then we can think of things to add on." Naruto scratched his head.

"Right. Well, I guess the first step would be to expel wind chakra from around my entire body." A large burst of wind shot out from Naruto, blowing everything around him back. Kakashi sighed as he dusted himself off.

"Now you need to control that. Make it stick to your body, and it has to be strong enough to repel attacks. Control is key here. Do you realize how much control it takes to enhance your nerves without frying them?" Naruto nodded.

"Yea I know. But I can get there." Naruto closed his eyes and this time a weaker gust of wind blew out around Naruto. Kakashi watched as he stood there, trying it a few more times, before he thought of something. "Oh yea. Shadow Clones. Hehe." He created about 500 Shadow Clones, who all immediately began to experiment with the wind armor. A few hours passed before one clone started to shout excitedly.

"I think I got it!" The real Naruto immediately appeared next to his clone.

"Do it." The real one commanded. The clone nodded and concentrated. A burst of wind surrounded Naruto and started to blow around him like a thin layer of armor. The tiny layer of wind was pretty powerful, and Naruto could tell it would be effective. "It's similar to a Rasengan..." The clone nodded at Naruto's observation.

"Yea, that's what I tried to do. It seemed effective enough."

"Dispel yourself, so I can get the feeling. Good work." The clone poofed away, and Naruto tried out the new technique. "Yea...this will work nicely. Now..."the blonde sighed"...to test it. Kakashi, can you hurl kunai at me from every direction?" As soon as Naruto finished, Sasuke was by his side.

"No let me. Please." Naruto frowned at Sasuke's eagerness, but nodded nonetheless.

"Fine. Start off with just one. Aim at my shoulder." Sasuke quickly ran thirty paces away and whipped a kunai out, an expression of childish excitement on his face. "Go." Sasuke launched the kunai as hard as he could, and the sound of metal cutting flesh echoed through the air.

"Oh shit! The pain!" Naruto ripped the kunai out of his shoulder and threw it on the ground, staining the grass red. Sasuke chuckled as Kakashi rushed over to his injured student with a wide eye.

"What the hell Sasuke?! You threw it as hard as you could!" Kakashi shouted, examining the wound.

"It's fine. I want him to do that. I just have to make it stronger next time." Naruto stood and ignored the pain with a grunt. "Alright let's try this again. At my shoulder. The other shoulder!" Naruto quickly added as he activated the wind armor. He pumped more and more chakra into it, making it rotate around his body faster and faster. Sasuke flung another kunai at Naruto, but when it hit the wind, it was flung to the side and embedded into a tree trunk. Naruto stared at the result, until a grin spread across his face. "It worked! Ok Sasuke, go crazy!" Sasuke laughed as he started to jump all around the forest, launching kunai at Naruto from every angle. A hailstorm of kunai rained on Naruto, but his armor did its job. Every time a kunai made contact, it was flung in a different direction. Kakashi and Shikamaru had taken kunai out to deflect any stray ones that might injure them. Finally, Sasuke's barrage ended, and Naruto stood with a triumphant smile. "What do you think Sensei?" Kakashi sighed, but a grin stretched across his face.

"I guess tomorrow we'll figure out what we can add on." Naruto exclaimed his approval and then stumbled over his own feet. "Woah, gettin a little light headed from the blood loss." Kakashi sighed as he pulled Naruto up. It seemed like visits to the hospital after training sessions were to be a routine thing. 

XxX

"The wind around me is under my control huh?" Repeating the words his Sensei had told him not moments ago, Naruto held his fist out. He activated his wind armor, and he focused on the thin layer of raging wind. A blast of air shot out from his fist, shattering the bark of the tree in front of him. "Perfect." He jumped backward and punched he ground, causing a small crater to form. "And if I can use it for that then..."he jumped high into the air, higher than any chakra enhanced jump could be. He easily cleared the trees, and soon, he was flying through the air, doing loops and rolls across the sky. "So this was the missing piece to my flying technique...hahahaha! I'm actually doing it!" With short bursts of wind he maneuvered through the sky, laughing happily throughout the thrilling experience. He finally landed, and Kakashi was staring blankly at him.

"I'm not hallucinating, right?" Naruto grinned. "Right. Well, I think it's safe to say that you were successful." Kakashi shook his head. "He can fly now...next he's going to move the moon." The Hokage mumbled, used to feeling this surprised. The boy was a genius, but Kakashi believed some of that had to stem from his insanity. 

XxX

**  
><strong>**A/N: Well, it's been awhile. I don't really have any excuses. School ended, and its summer now, so I've kinda just been partying. I haven't felt like writing, but I got this out finally. I can't say the next one will be quick, but I'll try my best.******

**So about the chapter. That brings this arc to a close. Danzo is dead. Root is finished. Sound is finished. If you're trying to come up with a way to picture Sasuke fighting, think Xemnas from Kingdom Hearts II. I really am drawing a lot from Xemnas. I'm thinking about giving Naruto a weapon, but Idk what. I see Naruto as a powerhouse, so it's gotta be something big, like an axe XD. Idk probably not but it's a fun thought. Next chapter will explain what exactly happened to Naruto, and the restoration begins once again, although this time I won't be delving into that aspect of it.**

**Oh and that extra content stuff is just a present for me being so lazy. I think people would wanna know how they create their techniques, so I may continue to do that after every chapter or so. If you guys like it tell me, and I definitely will. As usual if you got questions I got answers. Hope you enjoyed. Shoutout to Senjuto. Peace.**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: A Foreign Quiet

"Is he okay?" Kakashi asked worriedly. Shikamaru sighed.

"That really depends on him. Just wait until Sasuke gets here, and I'll explain everything." The door clicked open, and Sasuke was wheeled in on a wheelchair. He had severe chakra exhaustion after the battle, and even walking was quite tiresome. The nurse exited quietly, and both of the Sharingan users looked at Shikamaru expectantly.

"Leaf Secret Clan Technique: Shadow Emergence; a secret technique of my clan, created by my grandfather during the Second Shinobi World War. It was designed to pull targets, enemy targets that is, from behind enemy lines. These captured targets, usually high ranking officers, were captured so we could steal information from the enemy. You see the Shadow Emergence technique invades your mind as well as it binds your body, and it puts the victim into a coma. Easy for a member of the Yamanaka Clan to extract info. Usually they just slit their throat after, so it didn't really matter. In this case..." Shikamaru sighed. "My father and I are going to have to do a lot of research." Shikamaru stared at the ground in regret. "If he doesn't wake up...it'll be all my fault."

"Why did you do it?" Kakashi asked curiously.

"I told him to." Sasuke stated. "Danzo had the Mangekyo Sharingan."

"Mangekyo Sharingan?" Kakashi said questioningly.

"The Mangekyo Sharingan is the ultimate form of the Sharingan. Many different kinds of powerful techniques, from Ninjutsu to Genjutsu, can be performed with that eye. I don't know much else besides that, but I do know this. The Mangekyo Sharingan has the ability to control the Nine Tails. Madara Uchiha did it against the First Hokage in the Valley of the End, making it what it is today. I couldn't risk Danzo taking control of him." Sasuke explained tiredly.

"Would Danzo know of this power?" Kakashi asked.

"The man had ten Sharingan implanted into his arm. He never used a tool that he didn't thoroughly research. I wouldn't be surprised if the reason he had the Mangekyo was to control Naruto in the first place." Sasuke said dejectedly. "Basically, we would have been screwed if Danzo got control of Naruto. We had to stop that." Kakashi sighed and nodded.

"As much as I don't like it, I agree with your decision. So Shikamaru, what happens now?" The lazy ninja smashed his fist into the wall.

"Nothing. I have to drag my ass to the library every day to find a cure. My dad will search the clan archives to try and find something useful." Shikamaru's head sagged. "I feel useless. He does most of the fighting and in the end he's in the worst condition." Kakashi stood.

"Try not to kill yourself over it. You made the right choice. Unfortunately, I have duties to attend to, and I have to leave. Please, keep me updated on his condition. And guys...I'm proud of you." Sasuke and Shikamaru smiled, and the Hokage exited the room. It would take work, but they'd be complete again. 

XxX

It was deathly quiet in the forest; the wind was nonexistent and not an animal stirred. Suddenly there was a great flash, and a row of trees collapsed in a clamor.

"Six meters huh?" Sasuke mumbled, staring at his hand. He was working on extending the reach of his Lightning Blades, and it seemed that was as far as he could go. He sighed as he turned around, his training done for the day. Since Naruto wasn't around, he had been training alone on the Uchiha Training Grounds. He had offered for Shikamaru to join him, but the Nara boy was extremely busy with research on Naruto's cure. And he would be busy until he found it.

As the Uchiha walked through the empty streets of his clan district, he couldn't help but think of Itachi. The pain his brother endured...all for his sake...Sasuke just wanted him to be okay. Just once...he wanted to see him; see that he was alive. He looked up into the sky as a crow squawked, and shook his head. Such thoughts would only depress him more.

He decided he would pay his comatose teammate a visit, after he cleaned up of course. He'd probably get a bowl of ramen on the way, because someone was going to have to keep Ichiraku's open. 

XxX

Shikamaru sighed as he carried a stack of books over to the table. Of course, he couldn't see the table, because his vision was blocked by the ridiculously troublesome medical textbooks he was carrying.

"Need a hand?" Shikamaru thought the feminine voice sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn't put a face to it, so he accepted gratefully. The top half of the stack was lifted, and Shikamaru was face to face with a smirking Temari. "Hi there."

"Hello Temari. Long time no see." He said that on purpose, in order to remind her of their last encounter, which had been during the Chuunin Exams. Unfortunately, she didn't take the bait.

"It has been a long time. Why don't we sit down and get reacquainted?" She dropped the stack of books on the table, and Shikamaru knew he was roped in.

"I'm quite busy really. This research is very important to me, and I'm kinda pressed for time." Temari sighed.

"Look, the reason I wanna talk to you is because of your teammate. The blonde one." Shikamaru looked at her with a guarded expression.

"What do you want with him?"

"I want to thank him." Shikamaru seemed surprised by this. "Ever since the exams...Gaara has been great. He talks to Kankuro and I about nature and the weather. And he even smiles sometimes. You don't know how grateful I am..." Temari explained softly. "He saved my brother."

"I see. Unfortunately, you can't see him right now." Her head snapped up.

"What? Why not?"

"He's in a coma." Temari's eyes widened.

"What...what happened?" Shikamaru shook his head.

"I did something, and because of it he's in a coma. But I can fix it!" He opened the first book and went to sit, but Temari grabbed his wrist.

"You're blaming yourself? Why?" Shikamaru scoffed.

"It was my technique. So now I have to fix it." The Nara sighed. "I'm sorry, it's been a stressful few days." He sat down. "...you're more than welcome to stay." Temari smiled and took a seat next to him.

"So, what are we looking for?"

"If I knew, I would gladly tell you." She glared at him. "Look for anything that mentions the Nara Clan, secret techniques, or comas. Seriously that's all I got." She started the skim the page.

"That's not much to work with." Shikamaru grunted in acknowledgement.

"Yea, but I've dealt with worse. And there's a lot more on the line here." Shikamaru said, gazing at the book seriously. "I know Naruto would never give up until his friends were okay, so what kind of friend would I be if I gave up?" Temari smiled at him and continued to research. It seemed that Naruto's optimism was contagious; first her brother now her...well she didn't know what to call him. He was a person of interest for now, but Temari was definitely going to see more of him. 

XxX

Sasuke slurped on his noodles quietly as he stared out the hospital room window. It was nice to be able to sit here with his teammate and best friend quietly; usually he was boisterous and energetic. But then again, it was an odd feeling, not hearing Naruto's loud voice. He never noticed it until now, but without Naruto's voice it was eerily silent all the time. To think that he really had that much of an impact...

The door suddenly clicked open, and Sasuke whirled his head around to identify the visitor.

"Sasuke...I guess it's not a surprise to see you here." Sasuke stared into the blue eyes of Kairi for a moment, and he lost his concentration for a moment. They were very similar to Naruto's. He shook his head clear and nodded.

"Yea. I've got nothing else to do." The black haired sixteen year old smile and closed the door behind her.

"Where's Shikamaru?" She asked, taking the seat next to Sasuke.

"Doing research on a way to fix Naruto. He's gonna be stuck like this for awhile." Kairi seemed to get a little disheartened by this. "Don't worry, we _will_ get him back to normal." Kairi let a smile of reassurance bubble up.

"He's lucky to have teammates like you." Sasuke chuckled.

"More like it's the other way around. He'd die for any of us. I only hope I can return the favor." He said, looking at the ground. He felt a hand on his arm, and he looked over. Kairi was staring at him seriously, a look of understanding on her face.

"It's okay. I believe in you. And I bet Naruto does too." His eyes widened, and he glanced at his sleeping teammate. Even in that state, a grin still managed to adorn his face, and Sasuke smirked.

"He's probably laughing at me for being so mushy...heh he doesn't realize the effect his presence really has." He turned back to Kairi. "Thank you...I needed that." Sasuke looked down as she intertwined their fingers, blushing slightly.

"You're welcome. Every now and then I might need some cheering up too..." Sasuke didn't let her finish.

"You can find me." She wasn't looking at him now, but a smile of happiness stretched across her face. Sasuke looked at his teammate as well, and he couldn't fight his smile any longer. 

XxX

"Dammit. That was the last one too." Shikamaru sighed as he slammed the book shut, placing it on top of all the other useless books. He had been here for seven hours. Seven long, boring, quiet and now useless hours. He looked at his companion, who looked at him apologetically.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly. Shikamaru shook his head.

"Don't be. I just don't know how long I have, and if my results stay the same..."he couldn't finish the sentence, because really he had no idea what would happen. Whatever it was though, it would not be good. Temari stood and held her hand out.

"Well, you can forget about it by escorting me home." Shikamaru eyed her warily.

"Why would I need to do that? You're perfectly capable of-"she sighed and smacked the back of his head as she walked by, eliciting a yelp from him. He watched as she walked away, stopped, and turned around.

"Are you coming?" He scowled and stood up, slowly walking over to her.

"Troublesome girl." She glared at him.

"Oh I'll show you troublesome." Shikamaru gulped at that. He had no doubt she could make his life hell at a whim, and he decided he wouldn't test it.

"Right. Which way?" Shikamaru followed her lead as they walked through the empty streets, the street lights barely illuminating them. It was a mostly quiet walk, as Shikamaru was lost in his thoughts. Of course, Temari couldn't let that go for long.

"Why do you act so indifferent?" Shikamaru's brow perked up, and he shrugged.

"Because I am indifferent." She rolled her eyes.

"Don't give me that. You act like you don't care about anything." Shikamaru sighed.

"Well that's ridiculous. Of course I care. I care about important things like the village, my clan, and my teammates. But people's opinions are just unnecessary information. I don't need them to function." She scoffed.

"You sound like an idealist." He laughed.

"I can't help it. I'm just not naive. I've seen too much..too-"he looked up at her and noticed her curious gaze."-nevermind. This is you right?" She looked up, and sure enough it was the Sand Village Embassy towering over her. "Have a good night Temari. Thanks for helping today." He turned and walked away, not bothering to wait for a reply. She stared at him for a few moments as he walked away, before she called out to him.

"Will you be there tomorrow?" He waved his hand in affirmation and she smiled. Pestering him was going to be a great pastime. 

XxX

Sasuke and Shikamaru stood idly as Kakashi sat in his chair. He was reading a few papers, and finally he looked up at them.

"Okay, so as I'm sure you're aware, things aren't so great right now. That much is obvious. What you don't know, is that we have received multiple disturbing threats from the Hidden Rock within the past week. Apparently they are very well informed." Sasuke quirked a brow.

"How well informed?" Kakashi sighed.

"They know of Naruto's condition." Both of his students' eyes widened. "And since they know the son of their greatest enemy is on the sidelines, they're feeling a little confident." Shikamaru cursed.

"Well that's just great. What do we do?" Kakashi turned his chair around.

"Well, we need to show them we're not weak." He swiveled back around. "So I have a mission for you. But first, a few formalities." Knowing their sensei's dislike for formality, they felt confused. "As of now, you two are temporarily promoted to ANBU."

"ANBU? What? Why?" Shikamaru asked in shock.

"Because it gives you much more clearance, and since Naruto is MIA, you two need a place where your talents aren't wasted." Sasuke and Shikamaru looked at each other, and Kakashi noticed their worried expressions. "What is it?" Shikamaru sighed and nodded. Sasuke scratched his nose.

"It's just...Root..." Kakashi's eyes widened.

_'They're remembering what Root was like. What did they go through to make them look like that?'_

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked, fishing for information.

"Bad things Sensei. We don't wanna talk about it ever again. Maybe one day...but don't count on it." Kakashi sensed Shikamaru's finality, so he switched gears.

"So, for your first mission-"

"You mean my first mission." Sasuke stated, earning confused looks. "You need to work on curing Naruto. Every day counts. I'll handle anything that comes our way." The both looked at him like he was a heretic.

"That's stupid Sasuke. We can-"

"No. Naruto is the first priority to me. He would feel the same way. And I'll take all the missions, because I know he would do it too." They looked at his unyielding stare and sighed.

"Very well. I think you would rather have help for this, but that's up to you." Sasuke shook his head.

"I'll be fine." Kakashi sighed and produced a scroll with a big 'S' emblazoned on it.

"If you say so. Your mission, is to destroy Fort Tsunankan." Shikamaru's eyes widened.

"You mean Fort Tsunankan, as in Hidden Rock's famed first line of defense?" He asked in surprise, to which he nodded.

"The same. We have to send a message." Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"Well that'll certainly do the job. How the hell do you plan on getting away with this little stunt?" Kakashi smiled.

"I don't. That's the brilliance of it. You see, Hidden Rock is going to know who attacked as soon as it happens. And if we send in an invasion force, then by sunrise the entire Rock army would be right up our asses. But, if we send in one man, who is careful enough to leave nothing behind, then without proof Hidden Rock might as well get a binky for all the thumb suckin they're gonna be doin." Sasuke stared at the ceiling.

"So the odds are against me huh? Alright, then what are we waiting for?" Shikamaru looked between his sensei and teammate, before letting out an exasperated groan.

"I swear someone hit the mute button on the voice of reason..." 

XxX

Sasuke was surprised to see Kairi in Naruto's room a second day in a row. She smiled as he walked in.

"Hello Sasuke." Her cheeks tinted red, and Sasuke smiled back.

"Hi." He moved to Naruto's side and looked down at him. "Don't get lonely while I'm gone. I'll be back soon...hopefully..."Kairi's head snapped up.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke had forgotten he voiced that out loud, so he turned to face her.

"I have a mission. I...I'm not sure if I'll come back." He explained solemnly, looking down. Her eyes widened.

"What..." He sighed.

"Not exactly what I had in my mind with a promotion, but I guess that's our life...right?" They made eye contact, and Kairi walked over to him.

"Why...?"

"Things aren't stable right now. So sacrifices must be made..." He sighed. "I may die...but I won't fail my mission."

"Don't say that!" Sasuke looked down at Kairi in surprise, her ocean blue eyes pleading with him. "You can't die! You can't...how would Naruto feel if you died?" Sasuke looked over at his teammate.

"He wouldn't feel...he'd do what his heart told him." Kairi sniffled and hugged him. She may have been three years older, but his peak physical condition, and his good genes put him a few inches taller than her.

"Well my heart is telling me that no one else I care about needs to get hurt. Your heart tells you the same right?" Sasuke was quite overwhelmed by the emotional display; quite frankly this was unknown territory to him. But it was surprisingly comforting, and he decided that it was a welcome feeling.

"Yea...it does." She backed up and looked at him.

"Good. I'll never forgive you if you don't come back." Sasuke shuddered. For some reason, he really didn't want to disappoint her. 

XxX

Extra Content: Root Destruction

"Target confirmed. One Kayaku Nosada identified. Orders Dos?"

"Hold firm Comedy. Let's see if he moves. I'd rather not start a fight in such a populated area."

"Got it. Keeping distance." The three Root operatives were spread out across the rooftops around their target, using communicators to talk. Currently, they were on a mission to assassinate a notorious missing ninja, who hailed from the Leaf Village. He was too dangerous for the regular ANBU to handle, but for Root he was perfect. Someone with as much information as he possessed needed to die quickly, by any means necessary, and their time was running short. He may have been a Jonin, but Team 7 was ready.

An hour passed, and Dos' voice crackled over the comm.

"He seems pretty comfy. Let's get this over with so I can go cut myself." At that morbid thought, explosive tags lit up the plaza. Horrified screams echoed through the air as civilians were demolished in the blast. Human limbs flew everywhere as a result, bringing a nauseous feeling to Dos' stomach. As the dust cleared, Tragedy approached the scattered remains of their target. He picked up the discarded headband and surveyed the area. Blood stained the battered ground, rubble was strewn about everywhere, blown off limbs were hanging like decorations, and a child's head was eerily staring at him, as if to condemn him for his actions

"Kill confirmed. Casualties-"

"Too many." Tragedy looked over at Dos, who was already walking away. "C'mon, let's get out of here." Tragedy and Comedy followed, wanting to bury their sins here along with the rest. 

XxX

**A/N: That was quick. Bet you weren't expecting a double update. It's ok I wasn't either. I guess new shit is easy to write. Anyhow there's the new arc. It's not really an arc per say, more like a respite. There won't really be that much action. It's mostly story related stuff. ******

**Speaking of which, as you can see pairings are being developed! I bet some of you are happy. Of course, nothings set, and not everything lasts, so we'll see how it goes. But the personal stuff is starting finally.******

**As for the coma, it seemed like a good way to shine the spotlight somewhere else. Of course, Naruto isn't completely out of the story, and you'll see that soon. ******

**The extra content was a Root mission I made a reference to. Pretty short, but it's meant to just be a quick snapshot of insight to help you understand things better. I'll try and keep em interesting.******

**Anyway that's it for now. Questions and suggestions are always welcome. Shoutout to Senjuto. Hope you enjoyed. Peace.**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: The Life of a Friend

Twinkling stars decorated the night sky, like beacons on light in an abyss of darkness. Sasuke stared at the sky as a small fire crackled next to him, illuminating half of his face. He had been on the road for four days already, and he was within half a day's walk from the fort. He took a bite of his cooked pork, and washed it down with a can of tomato juice, savoring the flavor. Tonight was a night of luxuries, and Sasuke was taking his time. He finished the meat with a satisfied grin, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

He took the time to do one last check of the area, searching for any pulses or traces of chakra. Satisfied that no one was around, he put the fire out and unrolled his sleeping bag. He climbed in and gazed at the starry sky, thinking of his home and his friends. Shikamaru was probably just leaving the library now, or rather being kicked out for staying too long. Kakashi was definitely cursing his luck for being named Hokage. A set of blue eyes invaded his mind's eye, and a smile crossed his face. He didn't really know what was going on with her, but those moments with her...he would remember them forever. Even with Naruto lying comatose in the hospital bed, she had made him feel confident...she was sure they would cure Naruto, and he'd be damned to the seventh layer of hell if he let her down. But most of all, he would not let Naruto down. Naruto didn't know the meaning of the word failure; he always found a way. And he always came out of it alive.

"I'll be back. I can't die yet." Sasuke whispered to himself, mostly for reassurance. But he wasn't nervous; no he was far from it in fact. He was calm, extremely calm, like his body was stuck in a stillness that he hoped would never move. But that's what scared him the most. 

XxX

Fort Tsunankan was the pride of Hidden Rock. While they had certainly lost wars before, not once had the actual fort been taken. With 20 inch stone walls, wrought by powerful Earth Style techniques, watch towers on every corner, and a decent sized battalion stationed there at all times, it was truly a magnificent asset of war. However, the most impressive thing about it, and what had really kept it impregnable, was the fact that it was built into the side of a mountain. And said mountain happened to be parallel to another range of mountains, creating a valley of murder for any invasion force dumb enough to assault Hidden Rock by land.

So when Sasuke actually laid eyes on the fortress, his stomach dropped a little.

_'That's Fort Tsunankan? Well shit, no wonder it's their perfect defense._' He sighed wearily as he went over his plan in his head. _'If Kakashi's intel is right, then there should be 45 Genin, 15 Chuunin, and three Jonin commanders. And apparently one of them is Kurotsuchi of the Lava Style, and granddaughter of the Tsuchikage. Dammit, what the fuck did I get myself into?'_ He shook his head. _'Too late for regrets now. Well, then let's see if I can't start things off with a bang._' From the tree he was perched in, he jumped outt and ran up to the fortress. His headband was safely hidden at the campsite, and he was wearing a blank white mask, to hide his identity. As he approached, he heard the warning shouts from the sentries in the watchtower, and he flew into action.

"Lightning Style: Shockwave Eruption!" Sasuke came to a halt and slammed his hand on the ground, and blue lightning leapt across the ground, tearing it up as it blazed toward the fort. More lightning arced up from the ground as it collided with the fort, alerting any unknowing Rock ninjas of an attack. Sasuke gaped as he saw that his attack had done little more than crack the wall, and he cursed as about ten enemies, most of them Genin he assumed, charged out of the fort. He charged forward and activated his lightning blades, beheading two Genin who couldn't have been any older than him. He continued to weave through the attackers, taking limbs and spilling their blood as he ruthlessly tore through them like wet paper. When he saw more reinforcements pour out of the fortress, he knew these would be Chuunin, and he gave himself some space. "Lightning Style: Illumination!" He poured an immense amount of chakra into this one, more than he usually would, and the result was a giant pyramid of electricity that ensnared the charging enemies. They were vaporized instantly, and Sasuke continued his charge.

"Fire!" He looked up when he heard the command, and cursed as multiple boulders were being launched at him from the top of the fort. He darted left and right, narrowly avoiding the Earth Style barrage meant to kill him. He slashed through a boulder he couldn't dodge and in one bound leapt to the top of the fort. He immediately felled the closest enemy, and from there he was moving around like a liquid, bending through any and all strikes, and silencing his enemies with practiced ease. Finally, only a few, about 15 or so, enemies remained, but he hadn't seen or felt the Jonin commanders at all. He decided he would finish this now, before his luck decided to betray him. He leapt away onto the side of the mountain, and with his Lightning Blades he started to viscously slash at the mountain, sending chunks of it careening toward the fort like an avalanche. He felt satisfied after carving a large chunk out of the mountain, so he looked below, and almost yelped in surprise. A platform of earth, with all the boulders he had slashed off, was rocketing towards him. No doubt the Jonin were here now. Sasuke decided to try a bold move, so he sent large amounts of chakra to his Lightning Blades, causing them to grow with power. He easily slashed through the earth rising at him, flying back towards the fort with debris of rock falling behind him. He barely made contact with the fort before dashing straight towards a burly looking man with an eye patch. Sasuke could tell he was a Jonin from the way he easily dodged his slash, and then countered his back slash with a Wind Blade, clashing against the Lightning blade. Sasuke looked around and noticed that the falling rocks had killed all of the lower ranked ninja, and only the three Jonin, who had him surrounded at the moment, were left.

"Boy, I don't know who the hell you are, or what your goal is, but it all ends now." Eyepatch stated angrily through clenched teeth. "Kurotsuchi! Return to the Tsuchikage and request reinforcements! Riku and I will handle this!" Kurotsuchi's eyes widened.

"But Captain!"

"Just go!" Kurotsuchi stared at him for a moment before cursing and jumping away. Sasuke made to go after her, but the man named Riku was in front of him in a second. Sasuke's blade clashed with Riku's sword, which was coated in fire. The Uchiha jumped back, but Eyepatch was right there, easily ready to intercept him. Sasuke tried to contort to dodge, but when Riku jumped up behind him, he knew he couldn't get away. He barely parried Riku's stab, but both of the Rock Jonin delivered synchronized axe kicks to his head, shattering his mask and sending him crashing into the fort. He substituted himself as Riku sunk his sword halfway through a log. Sasuke appeared behind him, ready to slash his arm off, when the flame sword suddenly stabbed backwards, skewering him through the stomach.

"Gah..." Sasuke stumbled backwards, the sword sliding out of him with a squelch. Thankfully, since the sword was powered with fire elemental chakra, the entry and exit wounds were cauterized instantly. He held his stomach as it burned in agony, barely able to keep himself up straight.

"This is it you monster. You will pay the price for your crimes with your life!" Eyepatch shouted as he charged in, flying through hand seals. "Earth Style: Skull Shattering Spear!" A spear of condensed stone formed in his hand, and he hurled it with all his might at Sasuke. Time slowed down for Sasuke as he watched his death inch closer and closer now. He was nearly out of chakra, and at this point, the only movement he could make would be falling on his ass.

_'I guess this is it...I'm sorry.'_ He closed his eyes, resigned to his fate, when he remembered.

_'Well my heart is telling me that no one else I care about needs to hurt. Your heart tells you the same right?'___

_'Yea...it does.'___

_'Good. I'll never forgive you if you don't come back.'__  
><em>  
><em>'I promised her I would come back. I promised Kakashi and Shikamaru that I would be okay. And I promised myself that I wouldn't give up until I was dead!'<em> His eyes snapped open, and his Sharingan whirled around, morphing into a different pattern. It was predominately black, with three red ellipses crossing over each other to look like an atom.

"AUGHHH!" He roared in fury as black flames shot out of his right eye, completely obliterating the flying spear. Blood dripped from his eye as the black flames surged forward, engulfing Eyepatch in seconds. His partner watched in horror as his body was burned to cinders. Sasuke was suddenly in front of him, blood now falling from both eyes. They made eye contact, and Riku fell to the ground, comatose under Sasuke's Genjutsu. Sasuke collapsed to his knees and fell onto his hands, sweat dripping onto the ground from his hair. A slight smile crossed his face.

_'I...I'm alive.'_ He started to chuckle, until it evolved into full blown laughter, causing pain to spike in his stomach. _ 'Ok, it's a little early to celebrate. I still have to make it home.'_ He smiled at the word home. He would get to go back and live with his friends. Kairi, Shikamaru, Kakashi...and Naruto. He pushed himself up and started to drag himself back to the village, thoughts of home being the only thing driving him. 

XxX

"Who is that?" The gate guard asked, pointing past the gates. A lone figure with a tall cane was slowly approaching the village.

"Dunno, probably some old merchant." The other answered, only glancing at the figure. The first guard squinted at the approaching figure, gasping when he saw the sunlight reflect off of something on the man's forehead.

"It's a Leaf ninja! C'mon, he's injured!" Both gate guards swiftly jumped through the gates and went to aid their comrade.

Sasuke smiled as he saw two Leaf ninja bound out of the gates toward him.

"Finally..." He collapsed on the spot, knowing that he was safe now. 

XxX

"He's waking up!" Sasuke groaned groggily as his eyes flitted open. He found himself staring into the worried eyes of Kairi.

"What..." Kairi shook her head.

"Don't talk. You're in the hospital. They said...they said you weren't going to make it." Sasuke glanced over to see Kakashi and Shikamaru, leaning against the wall in almost mirrored poses, trying to mask their worry. Everything seemed a little blurry to Sasuke, but he chalked it up to his injured state.

"How long...?" He asked quietly, looking back at Kairi.

"A week." Kakashi answered, causing Sasuke's eyes to bulge.

"What-"he tried to sit up, but the sharp pain in his stomach forced him down.

"Easy!" Shikamaru shouted wearily. "Your wound still hasn't healed yet. You know, you're lucky to be alive. There was so much blood floating around in your body that they filled almost six vials." Sasuke's eyes widened. Six? He really should have been dead.

"What about Naruto?" The Uchiha asked, causing Shikamaru to look down.

"I haven't found anything yet." The Nara answered solemnly. Sasuke nodded and closed his eyes, sleep taking him in mere seconds. 

XxX

Shikaku Nara stared at his son with an amused smirk as he paced back and forth in their kitchen. Various books from the Nara Clan Archives were scattered everywhere, making the kitchen look like a warzone. Usually his mother would throw a fit if it were this messy, but she understood the...urgency.

"Calm down son. This isn't like you." Shikamaru stopped and glared.

"Well I can't help it. Naruto's completely screwed, and I haven't gotten anything worth shit! He's gonna die..." Shikaku's eyes narrowed.

"We've all seen comrades in tough spots. I've seen Choza and Inoichi close to death too many times, but I didn't let my mind get the best of me." Shikamaru's eyes narrowed back.

"Yea but was it ever your fault?" At that, Shikaku faltered, and rueful grin adorned the younger Nara's face. "I'll never be able to live with myself if I can't fix it..." Shikaku threw a book at him, which he deftly caught.

"Then you better keep looking. No Nara man can be bested by a simple setback such as this. You're better than that." Shikamaru sighed.

"Only because he made me that way..." Shikamaru walked over to his seat and collapsed into it. "I've been at this for days father...I'm beginning to lose hope." Shikaku put a hand on his son's shoulder.

"You know, I'm very proud of you son. I was a lot like you when I was a kid. Always star-gazing-"

"Cloud-gazing." Shikamaru corrected.

"I like the stars better. My point is, is that already, you've far surpassed any expectations I had. So the only thing I expect now, if for you to surpass what I expect." Shikamaru gazed at his father with a raised eyebrow.

"You put too much faith in me..."

"Well someone has to." Shikamaru sighed an opened the book, grinning behind the pages. His father was right; he had just started, so how could he give up? 

XxX

Kakashi placed a letter, marked with the seal of the Tsuchikage, down on his desk in front of his two students. They began to read it, wondering why Kakashi was so...nervous.

_To the White Fang's brat,___

_I don't know what kind of technique you could have conjured up to bring HIM back, but whatever you are doing should be left alone Hokage! Madara Uchiha is a dangerous man, and those black flames are an omen of what is to come if he is alive. You better have nothing to do with this, or the entire shinobi world will bring it's wrath down on you!___

_Oonoki of the Scales, Third Tsuchikage_.

"Madara Uchiha? He's long dead..." Shikamaru stated, completely baffled. "What the hell is going on?" Kakashi shook his head.

"Your guess is as good as mine. Sasuke, what happened at that fort?"

"There were so many...I had killed most of them, but one of the Jonin, the Tsuchikage's granddaughter, got away, and the other two Jonin stayed behind. They had me, and I had accepted my death...when something in me snapped, and I felt full of power. Black, unquenchable flames...and a terrifying Genjutsu...they went down like flies. Somehow my Sharingan evolve into the Mangekyo Sharingan. So much power..." The Uchiha looked down at the ground, remembering the feeling of adrenaline that exploded through his body.

"Ok, but why is the Tsuchikage spouting stuff about Madara Uchiha? He was a founder of the village, he'd be at least 120 years old." Shikamaru asked curiously.

"Madara Uchiha is the strongest Uchiha to ever live. The power of today's shinobi world is said to be a whisper of Madara's full power. The Uchiha Clan rose to greatness with the strength of his eyes...the Mangekyo Sharingan. Stories of his exploits were told in my clan as bedtime stories to the young ones...they were like fairytales, because his strength was unimaginable. Amaterasu...the forever burning black flame was but one of his powers." When Sasuke finished explaining, Kakashi chuckled.

"Then there's nothing to worry about. Let the old Fence Sitter be consumed by paranoia...for there is no Madara. However...that technique, Amaterasu...I forbid you to use it until you can figure out a way to put it out. We don't need rumors of Madara Uchiha's revival spreading." Sasuke nodded at this. "Good. Dismissed." 

XxX

The sound of rattling chains echoed through the darkness as Naruto woke up. He couldn't see anything, but ominous sounds, like that of breathing and growling, assaulted his ears from every direction. It was extremely cold, but sweat still poured down Naruto's face out of fear. This place was full of malice and evil, and it was almost suffocating.

"Pitiful...mortal..." A deep voice boomed from every direction, and suddenly, torches surrounding the room combusted, illuminating the foreign place. Naruto looked around, and his eyes widened when he saw the source of the voice.

"Dammit..." A low chuckle reverberated through the hall. The walls of the hall were made of stone, and carvings and drawings, looking like they were hundreds of years old, adorned the wall. The pictures depicted various scenes of battle, and all of them featured the Nine-Tails in one way or another. At the end of the hall was a stone prison, where the Demon Fox himself resided, chained to the wall from every limb, and his neck.

"Welcome...to my domain..." A laugh full of murderous desire filled the air, causing Naruto to gulp.

_'This is gonna be fun.'_

XxX

**A/N: Well there it is. Not bad I guess. ******

**So yea, Sasuke got the Mangekyo. Lemme explain. You see, in the show they kept saying that you had to kill your best friend in order to get it, but then Kakashi got it. And Shisui had it too. And technically I'm pretty sure Itachi didn't kill Shisui, so he didn't either. They never explain how Kakashi got it, but I believe it has to do with regret and sacrifice. Sasuke accepted his death, and in doing so he surpassed the human capacity for trauma. Death is the one thing that hounds us, so by embracing it, it has an opposite effect. The Mangekyo activates, and Sasuke lives to see another day. Itachi saw Shisui as a sacrifice, and a part of him died that day, as the rest of him died during the massacre. Itachi probably begged for death plenty of times, once again defying the nature of a human to cling to life. Pretty simple actually.******

**The mindscape is different because I wanted a new feel. I was never a fan of the sewer to be honest. I felt like it should be ancient, because the fox is ancient.******

**Sorry there's no extra content this time. I can't really think of anything to do, so I'll wait til next chapter. If you guys have anything you want to see in the EC, please tell me. I'd be more than happy to take suggestions and make them happen.******

**So yea, hope you enjoyed. Shoutout to Senjuto. Peace.**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Rising Sun

"You look...terrified..." The fox chuckled in amusement at Naruto, who stood stock still far away from the fox. "Come closer boy...I won't bite..." He bared his fangs and growled menacingly, as if to contradict his statement. Naruto slowly approached the prison, his senses all on full alert. He had no intention of dropping his guard for a second. When he got close, the fox lunged forward and snapped his jaws shut inches in front of Naruto. The blonde shut his eyes and stood, frozen in fear, in his place. He decided that this was close enough, and he cleared his throat.

"Why am I here?" The Nine-Tails eyes him like a juicy kebab for a moment before snarling.

"You do not ask questions boy! You are not even worthy to be in my presence, let alone be my Jinchuriki!" Naruto took in a deep breath.

"So how would I be worthy?" The Nine-Tails' eyes widened a fraction of a centimeter, but then he squinted. He leaned his snout close to Naruto and sniffed him a few times.

"You...are a very strange boy. Very few men have ever gained my respect. Your bastard father was one of them." Naruto's face contorted angrily, but the Nine-Tails slammed his tail on the ground. "Do not interrupt me boy. I care not if he was your father and he was a hero." Naruto looked dejected, but nodded. "Madara Uchiha, Hashirama Senju, and the Sage of the Six Paths are the only men throughout history whose power has overcome mine. You...you are weak. You are nothing but a piece of gum on the sidewalk." Naruto's eyes widened at that.

"Hey! I'm pretty strong!" The fox roared.

"I'm aware of your battle prowess, I see everything you see! What you think is strong is nothing compared to the legends of the ninja world! I've battled millions of men over time, and all of them could have killed your Hokage in seconds!" Naruto cringed. "If you want to be worthy...obtain great power...and one day we shall do battle." Naruto's eyes widened.

"You...want to fight me?" The Nine-Tails glared at him.

"You possess great potential, but you are nowhere near unlocking it. Until then, we shall never speak again." Naruto collapsed suddenly, and he was knocked out cold on the floor. The Nine-Tails closed his eyes as well, slumbering until the next time he could whet his appetite for battle. 

XxX

"Godammit..." Shikamaru sighed exasperatedly as he shut another book and tossed it aside uselessly. It had been 2 months since Naruto fell into a coma, and yet Shikamaru was no closer to curing his friend than when he started. He had read close to every medical and psychological textbook in the library, some twice, as well as most of his clan archives. Nothing had even mentioned the Shadow Emergence Technique, let alone anything similar. He wished he could have gotten a Yamanaka to dive into the blonde's mind, but he wasn't sure they would be thrilled to do that. He let out a grunt of frustration and opened another book, before a hand shot out from across him and snapped the book shut.

"That's enough for today. It's nearly ten, and the librarian has been glaring at you so intensely I wouldn't be surprised if laser beams shot out." Temari stated, giving him a sympathetic look. Shikamaru glanced over at the librarian, who really did look like she was willing him to burst into flames with her eyes. He got up without another word and meandered out of the library, Temari close behind him.

"Tomorrow we'll-" Shikamaru whirled around suddenly, glaring at her.

"We'll come away with jack shit again? At this rate, Naruto would have a better chance at meeting Jiraiya in the afterlife than coming back to us." Temari's eyes widened. That was more dark than usual. He was starting to feel really bad...

"Don't say that...I know you can-"

"But I can't! I don't know why everyone has this blind faith in me! I'm no miracle worker, I'm just an average, lazy guy! I don't even know what the hell I'm looking for! First my father and now you...it's like I'm fucking God or something. I don't know what to do...and I'm scared..." Temari watched his face contort with anger, sadness, regret, and a slew of other emotions, before he suddenly disappeared. She looked around, baffled by the abrupt escape, and cursed when she realized she'd have to find him.

The first place she had tried was his house. His room had been empty, and even when she knocked on the door and asked his parents, they hadn't seen him. Then she tried Ichiraku's, but they were just closing when she had arrived, and neither of them had seen the Nara. The training grounds were completely empty as well, except for the Forest of Death, which had sadistic, womanly cackles emanating from it.

She had run out of ideas after that, so she had decided to climb to the top of the Hokage mountain and scout out the city for any probable hiding places. She was surprised to see him up there already, lying on top of Kakashi's head, gazing at the stars. She approached him and stared down at him, but his gaze stayed fixed on the sky.

"I can see why my dad likes the stars." She sighed and lied down next to him, turning her head to look at him in concern. "The average life expectancy of a ninja is about 20. So you should always make the best of it right? Well Naruto is losing time right now, and he's never gonna get it back. So what right do I have to enjoy myself?" Temari frowned at his ramblings. She scooted a little closer and sighed.

"I don't know why you think like that...for a genius you're acting stupid." He grinned slightly and she turned her body toward him. "You're being so hard on yourself...you're gonna drown yourself in your own regret and sorrow. Take a second to relax and think...would Naruto want you to waste your time? I know he wouldn't, and you do too. So give yourself a break...and let it go. Just for a little while..." Shikamaru turned his head sideways, and he was a little surprised at how close she was.

"I..." He lost his train of thought quickly, and his breath got caught in his throat as she stared at him, almost through him. He could see an intense urge to comfort behind her emerald eyes, and his heart started to beat like a bongo. She leaned in suddenly and before he knew what was happening, his arms were wrapped around her and she was on top of him, their lips locked together. The rest of the night was spent in a similar fashion, until she fell asleep under the moonlight, comfortably snuggled up against him in his arms. His mom would be furious in the morning, but those thoughts would be saved for when they mattered. Right now, he would let it all go. 

XxX

Shikamaru opened the front door to his house, peeking in to check if the coast was clear. He immediately locked eyes with his mother, who was standing in the kitchen, hands on her hips, and a gaze that spelled death for anyone caught in it. He looked down at the ground and shuffled in slowly, waiting for the tongue lashing.

"Pull an all-nighter at the library son?" Shikamaru's eyes went wide as his dad's voice echoed from behind his mother. Shikaku was giving him a look that said 'agree or your life is over', and Shikamaru was more than happy to do just that.

"Yea...still haven't found anything yet." A look of genuine sadness crossed his face, and his mother went from livid to concerned in a second. She walked up to Shikamaru and gave him a motherly hug before retreating from the room. Shikamaru and Shikaku's eyes locked, and the older Nara motioned his head toward the back door. About a minute later, both of them were in the Nara Clan Forest behind the compound. Shikamaru was staring at his father with a questioning glare.

"Why'd you help me out?" Shikaku shrugged.

"You've got a lot on your plate right now. I figured you could do without a Yoshino-scolding." They both smiled, before they broke into chuckles. "So, where were you really?" Shikaku asked after his fit of chuckles. Shikamaru grumbled something and looked at the ground. Shikaku raised a brow.

"I'm sorry? I didn't catch that." Shikamaru leveled him with a glare.

"I was with a girl..." It took a minute for Shikaku to process the information, but when he did he burst into laughter, something Shikamaru had never seen his father do. "Dad...c'mon it's not...dammit." Shikamaru decided to scowl at his father until he finished laughing, which went on for quite some time, furthering Shikamaru's embarrassment. When he finally calmed down, he immediately started to ask questions.

"So, who is she?"

"Are we really gonna play 20 questions?"

"You'd rather I tell your mother?" Shikamaru's face paled three shades whiter, causing Shikaku to smirk victoriously. "Answers boy."

"Her name is Temari." Shikaku's eyes widened in recognition.

"You mean the Sand kunoichi that's been following you around lately? Isn't she the daughter of the ex-Kazekage, and student of the current one?" Shikamaru nodded. "She stopped by last night. Looking for you." Shikamaru sighed; she already knew where he lived. "Whatever happened to an average girl?" Shikamaru looked away.

"Well I certainly didn't expect this either but...she hasn't left my side since Naruto..." he didn't need to finish that thought, for neither of them needed it repeated. "It's been...comforting." Shikaku put a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Well my boy, maybe now you'll understand why I fell in love with your mother." Shikamaru rolled his eyes, before they burst open, as wide as dinner plates.

"Oh god...she's just like mom." Shikaku let out another bellow of laughter.

"How ironic! Well, now you can never call me whipped again boy!" Shikamaru joined in on his father's laughter, following the advice of his new...well whatever Temari was to him. Finally their raucous laughter died down, and Shikaku's face turned serious. "So, how goes the research?" Shikamaru spit on the ground and grunted.

"About as well as 3 Genin taking an S-Rank mission." Shikaku sent an accusatory glare at his son, and the younger Nara rolled his eyes. "Not my team." Shikaku grinned, but it was gone as quick as it came. "I've memorized every damn book remotely relevant to the problem, and I still got nothing." Shikaku nodded thoughtfully.

"You know son, I think you're going about this the wrong way." Shikamaru cocked his head and raised his eyebrow.

"How so?"

"Our peers may consider us geniuses, but our knowledge only carries us so far. I cannot claim to be an expert in medical or psychological matters, nor can you. Tactics and politics are our strong points. So instead of traditional means, you must use what knowledge you possess to solve this problem." Shikamaru urged his father to continue with a slight head nod. "You don't get it? Fine, let me ask you this: What put Naruto in this state?" Shikamaru shrugged.

"The Shadow Emergence Technique?" He guessed logically. Shikaku shook his head.

"Think broader. Don't give it a name." Shikamaru chuckled.

"Me." Shikaku scowled and smacked the back of his son's head.

"Don't give me stupid answers." Shikamaru sighed.

"Fine...broader means a wider range, so a wider range of Shadow Techniques? But that's too specific too. So Ninjutsu...you think I should create a technique to counteract the Shadow Emergence Technique." Shikaku grinned.

"Exactly. Your grandfather created that technique during the Second Shinobi World War to help our village. Now you can create one to help your friend." Shikamaru just shook his head.

"I can't believe I didn't think of that" Shikaku chuckled.

"Well, it'll be years before you surpass me in knowledge son. I'm a lot smarter than you think." Shikamaru scowled. "Now, how bout a game of shogi?" 

XxX

Time slowed down around Sasuke. One minute, he had been walking through the forest with his ANBU team, and then all hell broke loose.

He was currently on a mission with ANBU Squad Delta, otherwise known as the Leaf's Silent Killers. They were a top notch assassination squad of the Leaf ANBU, only sent out on special occasions and to well paying customers. Of course the fact that it was an A-Rank and the guy had offered THAT much should have set off some kind of alarm bells, but apparently he had been a friendly man.

Sasuke now knew he was everything but.

Hell, he could have been a hostage, forced against his will with the life of someone dear to him. Either way, someone should have said something.

So when the trap was sprung, Sasuke had actually been somewhat prepared for an attack. Of course, he wasn't expecting it to be who it was.

"This is for payback Leaf scum!" Sasuke whipped around and activated his Lightning Blades just in time to block a kunai with two prongs, one much longer than the other. Through his mask, he made eye contact with the attacker, and his eyes widened.

_'Shit...'_

"You...it was you! It was the Leaf who destroyed Fort Tsunanka! Kill them all!" Sasuke cursed his luck; of course Kurotsuchi, the only survivor of Fort Tsunanka, would ambush his team. Furious battle cries echoed around the cornered ANBU team, and the Leader, Snake, quickly shouted her command.

"Scatter!" The Leaf ninja jumped away, separating the group of Rock ninja. There were seven of them, against the four Leaf ninja, but they had no fear. Numbers meant nothing to an ANBU. Sasuke was lucky, only one of the ambushers followed him. To his dismay it was Kurotsuchi, who definitely had a bone to pick with him.

"I'll avenge my comrades with your death monster!" She flew through hand seals, anger blazing in her eyes.

"Earth Style: Stairway to God!" She slammed her hand on the ground, and a giant plateau of earth from under Sasuke soared into the air, like a rising pillar. He quickly charged his Lightning Blades with an excess amount of chakra and stabbed them down into the earth under him, causing it to stop moving and crumble. He jumped from piece of debris to piece of debris, finally landing behind the girl. She whirled around, a kunai poised to slit his throat, when he made eye contact with her, and the kunai fell from her hand. She was frozen in the gaze of the Mangekyo Sharingan, as Sasuke ensnared her.

"Tsukiyomi..." She fell limp to the ground, soundly knocked out. He had used Genjutsu to wipe her mind of his identity and connection to Fort Tsunanka. That was something that needed to be kept a secret. He turned to see the rest of his teammates struggling against their enemies, and he rushed in to help. 

XxX

Kairi burst into the hospital room, letting out an exaggerated sigh of relief when she saw Sasuke in a chair, not a bed. Kakashi had just told her the room number, and that had immediately gotten her worried.

"Kairi..." She walked up to him and hugged him.

"I heard what happened. I'm so glad you're okay." Sasuke returned her hug gently.

"I'm okay thanks to her." Kairi stepped back and gazed at the purple haired woman lying in the bed.

"Oh stop. Since when are Uchiha's humble anyway?" Sasuke cracked a tiny smile.

"We're more humble than you know Captain Anko." The snake mistress waved her hand dismissively.

"Whatever. This just means I get to launch an Earth Style technique into your back one of these days. You better keep your guard up Uchiha." Anko stated sadistically. Sasuke whole-heartedly believed her threat, so he would make sure to watch out for snakes.

"Right. Well, thanks again Anko. I promise I won't tell anyone you saved me." Anko rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Beat it brat, I'm tired as hell." Sasuke and Kairi exited the room at her command, and he lead her out of the hospital and into the streets. Sasuke didn't know how she had lead them to the merchant district, but soon enough they were moseying through the colorful streets, the sounds of haggling and arguing reverberating around them. Kairi admired the luxurious stands with curiosity and excitement, putting a smile on Sasuke's face.

"You seem to be enjoying this." Sasuke observed, earning a vigorous nod.

"Yea! My mother used to take me here all the time. There was one particular stand she always visited, but never bought anything from. I never knew why...but she always looked sad. It was after my father had died, so I guessed it had something to do with him. But I never found out. Ah, there it is!" She scurried over to the stand, a simple stand that sold valuable trinkets and accessories and everything of the like. Kairi examined the wares with wide eyes, like a kid in a candy shop. She plucked a necklace off of a tiny rack and marveled at it intensely.

"So pretty...do you think it matches my eyes?" She held the ocean blue jewel, chained on at the end of the tiny, black, silken rope. A tiny silver chain ran through the middle of the black silk, as if it were a sliver of moonlight.

"Yea...perfectly." She smiled at him and was about to replace it, when he grabbed her wrist. "...Do you want it?" She gaped at him like a fish.

"What? This is expensive Sasuke...why would you do that." He shrugged.

"I...have too much money. Really. And the way your eyes lit up when you looked at that...I know you want it." He gently took the necklace from her hand and walked up to the merchant, who simply gave Sasuke a price, and happily accepted Sasuke's money. She watched him do this with a huge blush on her face, utterly baffled and yet enormously giddy. He walked back over with a thin, rectangular, black box, and he set it on the table, before opening it and placing the gift around her neck. She blushed madly before stepping on her tippy toes and quickly kissing Sasuke on the lips, before leaving him stunned at the merchant stand. After a few moments, he turned around and saw her looking at him coyly, so he caught up with her and they continued walking. She intertwined their hands as they walked through the crowd, enjoying the warmth it brought. Sasuke was a little surprised by her actions, but he definitely didn't mind them. They brought him a sense of peace, and that was something he craved these days. 

XxX

Shikamaru stood over Naruto's bed with a determined look on his face. It had been a month since his talk with his father, and since then he had been crafting his technique, working day and night almost every day. His relentlessness as well as the help from Sasuke, Temari, the Hokage, and his father led him to success in the end. He had been able to bring a monkey back to consciousness after catching it in the Shadow Emergence Technique. It required exact precision however, so he needed to concentrate fully on Naruto and only Naruto. The technique had been simple to create really; it was mastering it that had taken so long. One wrong move could cause him to skewer Naruto's brain. He had forced everyone else out, telling them he wouldn't perform the technique if they didn't leave. That had got them out quick.

Shikamaru stared down at the childish face of his friend and couldn't help but smile.

"You're gonna be fine Naruto. I'll see you in a little bit." Shikamaru sucked in a deep breath, and exhaled sharply, zoning in on Naruto. His hands swiftly shifted through hand signs, his face not moving at all. "Shadow Scalpel Technique." He held his finger up, and a pointy wisp of shadow fluttered around his finger. He carefully positioned his finger over Naruto's forehead, before sinking the Shadow Scalpel into Naruto's head to his finger, like he was poking him. "Okay, now...where would I be if I were shadow residue..." The extension of shadow explored Naruto's brain, scouring for the cause of his comatose state. He felt a slight pull from his shadow suddenly , signaling that he had found the problem. "Perfect, now to just absorb it back..." The scalpel slowly siphoned the shadow residue clouding Naruto's head back to the Nara, and when it was all gone, Shikamaru did a quick check for anymore, before retracting his finger with a smile. "That should do it...I hope." He stared down at Naruto's face for a minute, and a minute turned to two, and two turned to ten, when finally, the blonde's cheek twitched. His eyes opened slowly, and Shikamaru felt like crying.

Through blurry eyes did Naruto see the world once again. He slowly blinked a few times, to clear the moisture in his eyes, and he saw Shikamaru smiling at him...extremely happily and relieved.

"Shikamaru..." The Nara started to chuckle, before it turned into a laugh, full of happiness. The door opened, the others hearing the laugh, and they all felt relief wash over them when they saw Naruto's blue eyes. The blonde looked at everyone with a half-startled half-confused expression on his visage. "What is...guys what the hell?" Sasuke stepped forward, a relieved smile on his face. "Hey, why are you smiling? All of you are really freaking me out right now."

"Shut up idiot." Naruto scowled and he pushed himself up easily and leaned against the backboard. "By the way, why am I here? I feel fine." Naruto's eyes widened. "Wait...Danzo! We were fighting Danzo! Well what happened?" Everyone in the room looked at each other, surprised at his energy level. It was as if he felt just as he did before the coma.

"Danzo is dead." Sasuke stated, putting a relieved expression on Naruto's face. "He's been dead for almost four months." His eyes widened.

"What? How is that possible?" Shikamaru sighed.

"When we were fighting Danzo, you used the Nine-Tails chakra, and Danzo had a way to control it with his Sharingan. So I had to capture you with one of my techniques. The side effect of the technique is that the victim is put into a coma." Naruto's face was blank as he absorbed the information, and everyone stared at him pensively, Shikamaru nervously as well.

"So I've been...in a coma?" Everyone nodded. "Damn. Well, I feel fine now. When can I get out of here?" He asked hopefully.

"Whenever you want." Kakashi answered. "That was the only thing wrong with you, so you're free to leave." Naruto perked up and gave them one of his uplifting grins, a sight to see after so long.

"Good. I've gotta go start training. I'm probably so much weaker..." He held his arm out and squeezed his hand, grimacing as he did.

"Oh yea...so much weaker." 

XxX

Years passed and soon Team 7 was once again at prime strength. As the top Chuunin team, and the Hokage's go to team as well, their reputations soared to new heights, as did their strength.

Which is why today, as 16 year olds, they were standing resolutely in front of their Hokage and Sensei, ready to undergo their Jonin Exams.

"We're not waiting any longer Sensei, just give us the exam!" Naruto shouted indignantly. "You were a Jonin at 13, how can you hold us back any longer?" Kakashi sighed.

"Alright alright, it's too early for you to be this loud. I have held you back for awhile haven't I?" His students nodded and he sighed. "Very well. The exam is simple. Bring back an A-Class missing ninja or higher, dead or alive, it doesn't matter." Kakashi flipped open his bingo book and scanned through it. "Ah, here's one. Aoi Rokusho, Jonin level ninja of Hidden Rain, and ex-Chuunin ninja of the Hidden Leaf. He betrayed our village a few years ago, taking with him the Second Hokage's Sword of the Thunder God. He had no outstanding skills as a Chuunin here, but it's been a while, and he could have gotten stronger. Still I think you three will be just fine." The three Chuunin nodded.

"Where will he find him?" Kakashi smirked.

"Ironically, I believe he recently defected from the Hidden Rain, as my latest reports have placed him in western Rain Country. Find him before they do, and retrieve the Sword of the Thunder God." His charges nodded, and they exited immediately, to prepare for their mission. They would set out tomorrow morning at dawn, so tonight would be spent relaxing. 

XxX

Extra Content: A Joint on the Mountain

A flame jumped up from the tip of Sasuke's finger and licked the tip of the tightly rolled marijuana cigarette, courtesy of Shikamaru, and smoke billowed into the air. When Shikamaru had found the odd smelling plants in the back of his clan's forest, he had laughed and laughed before telling his dad he found it, and there was nothing he could do to stop him from taking any. Shikaku had been furious that his secret stash had been found, but he had no choice but to share it now. Shikamaru was a crafty one...

Sasuke passed the joint over to Shikamaru, who accepted it lazily and took a long drag.

"So, are we the first people to smoke on my dad's head?" Naruto asked, accepting the joint from Shikamaru. They were seated in a little triangle on top of Minato's head, their knees almost touching together.

"I think Kakashi said something about him and Genma on the First's head once." Sasuke's eyes widened.

"Do you think the First Hokage could have used his Wood Style to grow weed?" Both of his teammates heads snapped towards the Uchiha, expressions of wonder adorning their faces.

"That...is possibly the greatest idea I've ever heard." Shikamaru stated, barely containing his excitement. "Where's Tenzo?"

"On a mission." Sasuke answered, eliciting a curse from Shikamaru.

"Damn. And we leave tomorrow morning. I'll have to mention it to him when we get back." Shikamaru sighed as he took a puff.

"You think this Aoi guy is gonna be a challenge?" Naruto asked, looking up at the night sky. "I know Kakashi said we should be fine, but I have a bad feeling. Why would he defect from a place that he sought refuge? It doesn't make sense. " Shikamaru shrugged.

"You worry too much. When have we ever underestimated an enemy? I have no idea how strong this guy is, but I'm gonna go all out, and I know you two will too." He explained confidently. "And if that's still not enough, then I guess this is where we meet out end. But I doubt it will come to that. I don't plan on dying yet, and neither do you." He said to his teammates.

"Yea...I have to restore my clan in Itachi's name...and I wanna see him at least one last time." Sasuke stated quietly. "I can't die until then."

"I have to continue Uncle Jiraiya's dream to bring peace to the world. And I have to surpass my father." Naruto added. Shikamaru nodded.

"So there's nothin to worry about. Now just relax and hit the joint. We have three more and I'd like some sleep before tomorrow." 

XxX

**A/N: So there's 22. A lot longer than I expected but whose complaining?******

**So the big thing is that Naruto is awake. And so the story continues. This is officially the start of the main storyline now, hence why there was a time skip. They're still really young, but that's intended, as their supposed to be on another level. They're still not god-tier or anything, but they're already Jonin level. I threw a shoutout to Anko in there, cuz she's awesome, and she deserves love. ******

**Speaking of love, Shikamaru and Sasuke now officially have pairings. Hope you like how they turned out. They're still not really a focus, so I'm not going to follow them too hard, but I know people wanted them, so there you go. ******

**What else...oh right! That bit with Naruto and the fox was fun. I've had ideas for that, so we'll see how they pan out.******

**I'll be delving into their time skip training as EC, because I wanna get the story moving, and I have no desire to write four years worth of chapters about filler. This isn't the anime after all.******

**The EC was pure fan service to myself. Its lighthearted kinda thing to take away the nerves of men who take lives every day. If you don't like it, well your dumb. I'm sure I'll lose alotta followers for that haha.******

**So I hope you enjoyed. None of these last few are beta-read, because apparently my beta is getting married 0.0. Well shouts out to him and his fiancée. Peace.**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: The First Drop

Team 7 stood in the middle of a grassy field, close to the border between the Land of Fire and Rain Country . They were staring across the plain in the direction of the Leaf Village, taking it in before they departed.

"We may be gone for awhile." Shikamaru stated stoically. He looked down at his headband and ripped it off, storing it in his weapons pouch. Naruto and Sasuke followed suit. They had ditched their Leaf ninja uniforms in order to move around less suspiciously, so now they were dressed as bounty hunters.

Naruto wore a mesh undershirt and a black pair of slacks, wrapped up under an orange hooded cloak. He wore wooden getas just like Jiraiya had, and he even started to grow his hair out a little, although it still had a long way to go. Strapped on his back was a large scroll, with the word 'Toad' emblazoned on it.

Sasuke wore loose-fitting dark blue robes, his clan crest displayed in all its glory on the back, with a black sash around his waist. The bottom of his pant legs were taped up, leading down to his tabi covered feet. Tied to Both sides of his waist were two, widened Wakizashi swords, with teeth along the outside of each blade. They were also made of chakra conducting metal, perfect for his affinity. He wore a simple white rain cloak over his outfit, knowing he would need it for where he was headed.

Shikamaru had a thick, gray silk shirt, with a very thick layer of wire-mesh under it. On his legs was a black hakama, and he wore simple, gray slippers on his feet. Various pouches full of specially made chakra-conducting kunai were hidden along his body, as well as a few other surprises. He also wore a white rain cloak.

"C'mon, it'll be like a vacation!" Naruto said eagerly, nudging Shikamaru with his elbow. The Nara rolled his eyes.

"Yea, welcome to Rain Country where the sun never shines and nothing ever dries." Sasuke chuckled.

"How poetic." They turned around and walked for a bit before they crossed the border, immediately noticing the darkness in the sky.

"That seems a little dramatic." Shikamaru noted, feeling a drop on his arm.

"Well, let's get wet." Naruto gave both of them a foxy grin before dashing off. The two clan heirs looked at each other and sighed.

"He's not taking this seriously." Shikamaru stated.

"When has he ever?" Sasuke asked, shrugging. "If he was taking it seriously, I think I might be worried." Sasuke ran ahead after that, Shikamaru right behind him. They traveled through the country for a few hours, getting used to the endless rain pounding down on them. They knew to stay away from The Village Hidden in the Rain, for it was extremely introverted to the ninja world. Nothing would be gained by going there; if anything the Rain ninja would try to delay them in finding Aoi.

Finally, there was no use in traveling anymore, so they set up camp quickly, and retreated to their tent to get needed rest. It would become scarce in the coming trials, so they would take as much as they could get. 

XxX

A week in the rain had soaked their spirits with dreariness and disappointment. They had seen no sign of Aoi at all, not that they knew what they were looking for in the first place.

"Dammit! I get that this is a Jonin Exam, but Kakashi could have given us something better than 'western Rain Country'. He just likes to be a cryptic bastard." Naruto ranted as they trudged through the mud. "We're never going to find this Aoi guy!" He shouted in frustration, coming to a stop under a thick branch, where he had a little more cover.

"Did someone say my name?" Naruto's eyes went wide and he whipped around to see a man with long brown hair and a Hidden Rain headband with a slash through it on his forehead. "Imagine my surprise when my scouts told me about a few dangerous lookin bounty hunters, only for them to be the students of the Fifth Hokage!"

"It's him!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly. "I can't believe he came to us!" Sasuke and Shikamaru nodded in satisfaction, it seemed that lady luck favored them today. "Let's end this quick so we can go home!" Aoi scowled and activated his sword, sparks shooting off as it crackled to life.

"I'm no easy prey children. You'll all die here." He flickered away and appeared behind Sasuke, who barely had his two blades, charged with lightning chakra, up in time to block. Shikamaru's shadow leapt up from the ground and morphed into a panther, crashing its fangs into the missing ninja's back, only for his form to splash into a puddle.

"Senbon Shower!" The three Leaf ninja looked up to see a hailstorm of senbon descending on them courtesy of Aoi's umbrella. Naruto flashed through hand seals and slammed his hand on the ground.

"Earth Style: Earth Barrier!" Three compact domes of solid earth rose up around the three boys, deflecting the tiny steel needles away. One of the domes exploded with lightning, Sasuke shooting out faster than the eye could see. Aoi blocked his initial strike with his Sword of the Thunder God, sending a bolt of lightning crashing to the ground. He parried a few more slashes, each sparking another bolt of lightning, before Sasuke broke through his guard and kicked him to the ground.

"Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!" Aoi crashed into the giant mud pit, cursing as he felt himself slowly being devoured by the technique. Sasuke landed next to him, his lightning charged sword pointed at Aoi's neck.

"Any last words?" Sasuke asked humbly.

"I guess it's time to get serious." Sasuke's eyes widened as a surge of electricity exploded from Aoi, freeing him from Naruto's technique, and the Uchiha only barely flickered away before he was roasted. Aoi stood, yellow electricity surging around his body, giving him a golden glow.

"That's the Raikage's Lightning Armor!" Shikamaru exclaimed. Aoi laughed.

"So it is. But you see, mine's a lot stronger, thanks to my sword here." Aoi stated with a cocky grin. "Anyway, my patience is wearing thin. So I think it's time we parted ways." He snapped his fingers, and four groups of ninja, all with traditional rebreathers strapped around their faces, appeared around Team 7.

"What the fuck!" Naruto shouted in surprise, jumping backwards to regroup with his teammates. "How does a missing ninja have this many men under his command?" Aoi's laughter echoed through the air.

"You sure ask a lot of questions. C'mon, look underneath the underneath. Isn't that what your Sensei says? Idealistic fool that he is." Naruto growled. "Easy boy, wouldn't wanna let the cat outta the bag would we? Or rather...fox? Your father must have had high hopes for you to seal it in you. Or...was it something else?" Naruto's eyes widened. That was a bit of information no one was supposed to know!

"How..." Aoi dismissed his astonished question with a wave.

"Wouldn't you like to know? Too bad you won't live long enough to find out. Hail Squad, take em out." Aoi and half of his lackeys disappeared, while the rest, about eight of them, armed themselves with their various weapons. Two of them jumped into the air and unfurled giant scrolls, unleashing a storm of kunai and shuriken upon the geniuses. A burst of wind exploded from Naruto, knocking the projectiles away easily.

"Why do they always think the underlings will cut it?" Naruto asked rhetorically. "Well, he got away, so let's clean up here and start tracking him. Shadow Clone Technique!" Thirty Narutos, all sporting identical grins, appeared, shocking Aoi's men.

"So many...were we just pawns Aoi?" The missing ninja's last words put a sick feeling in the pit of Naruto's stomach. In the end that's exactly what they were, and so Naruto's hand was forced to deal them their last card. The eight enemies were no match for the thirty clones, and soon Team 7 was surround by nothing but bodies, rain, and grayness.

"He knew about my father's..."Naruto mumbled, looking in the direction Aoi took off in. Sasuke approached him.

"Then let's go after him." Naruto turned to Sasuke with a frown, and shook his head after a moment.

"We need to go back home and tell Kakashi. Information like that shouldn't be known by anyone." Shikamaru and Sasuke's eyes bugged out of their heads.

"Did you just tell us..." Sasuke started.

"...to abort a mission?" Shikamaru finished, baffled by Naruto's decision.

"Look...there's obviously something going on here. We need to figure out what it is before it destroys us." Naruto explained, looking up at the sky, his fist clenched.

"How are you so sure there's something even going on?" Sasuke asked skeptically.

"It's just a feeling I have." Shikamaru sighed at his simple answer.

"Looks like we're heading home. We can make it home by lunch tomorrow if we only stop for a few hours tonight." Shikamaru estimated. Naruto nodded and took off, his teammates right behind him. 

XxX

"Naruto, look out!" Naruto dove to the side, avoiding a massive Fire Style technique that would have cooked the meat off of his bones. Three Rain ninja, one with orange hair, one with red hair, and one with blue hair, jumped down in front of Team 7, barring their passage.

"Who gave you permission to traipse around in our lands Leaf scum?" The orange haired one snarled, eliciting an angry shout from Naruto.

"That's it! I'm sick of getting ambushed in this country! Take this! Rasengan Barrage!" Two Shadow Clones appeared behind Naruto, without the use of seals, and they reached out to his outstretched palms, generating two Rasengans in a second. In the blink of an eye he was in front of the orange haired one, a moment away from demolishing his face.

"Fast..." There was a flash of light, and Naruto felt the chakra in his hand disappear, stopping his attack. The red haired ninja stood in front of him, hand outstretch and nary a mark on him.

"How...?" The orange haired ninja rushed past his teammate and confronted Naruto.

"How do you know that technique?" He asked, a hint of shock in his eyes.

"The Rasengan?" He asked slowly, not dropping his guard. He got a nod. "My Sensei taught it to me. It's my father's technique." He looked down at the ground.

"What does the name Jiraiya mean to you?" Naruto's head snapped up to the red haired man.

"What? How do you know him?" He asked adamantly.

"He was our sensei." Naruto's eyes widened, as did those of his teammates. Sasuke and Shikamaru were entranced by the scene. What were the odds?

"How is that possible? Uncle Jiraiya was in the village until he died...who are you?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Jiraiya was your uncle?" The blue haired one, a girl, asked.

"Well, more like a father; he was really my Godfather.. He cared for me until assassins came one day..." The red haired one's eyes widened, and the orange haired one sighed sadly.

"I see...well, I could never refuse the godson of Sensei...please come with us back to the village." He was met with stunned expressions and sharp inhales. "Please...do not be so surprised. I assume Jiraiya trained you as a boy?" Naruto nodded. "Then we are brother and sister disciples. We share a bond not many others can understand. Jiraiya was a great man...he saved us." Naruto smiled at that. Jiraiya was ever the noble one. "I am Yahiko. This is Nagato, and that is Konan. If you would please follow us." Naruto, Shikamaru and Sasuke shared a look of utter...something before following quickly. 

XxX

Naruto, Shikamaru and Sasuke admired the architecture of the foreign village as they were lead through it. The tall, sleek, silver skyscrapers were quite a sight, especially the way the lightning reflected off of them. Civilians, all dressed in rain cloaks, leisurely moseyed down the streets, the rain nothing more than a fleeting thought to them. They were lead to the tallest skyscraper, and after what felt like an hour of climbing it, they found themselves in a rain-scented office, with stone furniture and a nice chill.

"So, you're hunting Aoi Rokusho?" Yahiko asked, appraising the three boys. "What a coincidence, so are we." Shikamaru's brow shot up.

"Really? Care to tell us why?" Yahiko turned to Nagato, who nodded subtly.

"You know, I think we were fated to meet here today. We are in a bit of a tight situation right now, and allies are what we need. I'd be willing to tell you everything, but only an ally would be granted such information." Yahiko explained. Naruto could tell he was bargaining, but he was fine with that. The blonde sucked in a deep breath before nodding slowly and exhaling.

"Okay. You got a deal." Sasuke and Shikamaru balked at him.

"Are you crazy Naruto? I know you want to be Hokage, but you can't just go around forming alliances for the village!" Shikamaru reprimanded.

"Kakashi will kill you." Sasuke stated bluntly. Naruto shook his head.

"I know, but I trust them. They trained under Uncle Jiraiya...they have to be genuine people. He wouldn't train anyone else." His teammates eyed him warily. "And I know Kakashi will agree once a share a certain piece of information with him...that is, if your friend's eyes are what I think they are." Nagato's eyes widened a fraction, and Yahiko chuckled.

"Very impressive Naruto. Not many people would recognize the Rinnegan when they see it. But I'd expect nothing less." Sasuke's eyes widened.

"Rinnegan...impossible..." Yahiko turned his head to the Uchiha.

"It is the real thing, I can assure you. The legacy of the Sage of the Six Paths lives on in Nagato." Sasuke shook slightly due to the overwhelming discovery.

"I can't believe it 's real... " He activated his own Mangekyo Sharingan and stared into Nagato's eyes. "There's no doubt..." His Sharingan receded, and he just shook his head. "They give off more power than the Mangekyo..." Yahiko nodded.

"Indeed. So do you accept our terms?" Naruto nodded firmly.

"Yes. From today on, Rain and Leaf are allies. The Hokage will surely understand and agree." Yahiko smiled.

"Very good. Then, on to Aoi. To understand our current situation, you must first understand our history. We are the leaders of a group called Akatsuki. Years ago, after being trained by Sensei, we decided that we would somehow put a stop to the war. It seems like such a foolish dream...and yet we've come so far. So we created Akatsuki, and soon, we made a name for ourselves. One day, Hanzo the Salamander, the previous leader of the Hidden Rain, approached us and offered us a truce. We were skeptical, but we went along with it, except we had the entire Akatsuki organization lying in wait in case they tried something. When he broke the deal, it quickly turned into a bloodbath. By the end, Hanzo had escaped, and the Rain Village was ours. We became the leaders of Rain after that, leading up until a few weeks ago." He took a breath. "Aoi Rokusho was a double agent, and he was forced to flee when we discovered his secret. Unfortunately, he's extremely crafty, and he slipped through our fingers." Shikamaru whistled.

"To escape the Rinnegan...this guy's no joke is he?" Yahiko shook his head.

"He was one of the strongest ninja on our roster before he defected. It seemed to come out of no where...but one day, he exhibited amazing skill in combat. After that, his reputation grew." Naruto nodded at the information.

"So, who is he a double agent for?" The blonde asked, tapping his chin.

"Well, we have no proof, but all signs point to Hanzo the Salamander. It seems he's finally come out of hiding, and revenge is the first thing on his list." Yahiko speculated. "Either way, it seems that he's not joking around. He's already amassed a force of unknown size, but we fear it is enough for a revolution." Naruto's eyes widened.

"Revolution...you do realize what this means right?" Yahiko sighed in resignation.

"Unfortunately yes. As soon as Hanzo hears we have allied ourselves with the Leaf, he will seek allies as well. It can only lead to the Fourth Shinobi World War." Sasuke's fists clenched.

"Why would you try to ally yourselves with us if it will start a war?" He asked angrily. "We're not scapegoats." Yahiko looked embarrassed.

"We are simply too weak to fight a civil war. Our village has been suffering lately, as all of our resources have started going towards preparations. It is inevitable that my village will do battle; all I seek is a fighting chance." Naruto nodded.

"Well you have it. The Leaf will be behind you. You have my word." Yahiko seemed genuinely surprised.

"Thank you...Naruto. I promise that the Rain is behind the Leaf as well." Naruto nodded and turned to his teammates.

"We should get going. Kakashi will need to hear this." Sasuke and Shikamaru nodded, and with a simple wave from Naruto, the three were gone from the office. 

XxX

"You did what?" Shikamaru and Sasuke stifled their chuckles as Kakashi gave Naruto the fiercest glare his one eye could muster, plus a healthy dose of killing intent.

"Wait wait wait!" Naruto shouted, waving his hands in front of himself, begging for his life. "Just listen! I swear you'll be interested!" He glanced at Shikamaru and Sasuke, who were dead silent, looking straight ahead, and grunted.

"You have one minute before I demote you back to The Academy." Sheer horror crossed Naruto's face, and he quickly started.

"The guy, Nagato, one of the leaders of the Hidden Rain, has the Rinnegan, no fucking shit." Kakashi nearly lunged forward, but he tensed at the last moment.

"The Rinnegan..." he looked up at his other two protégé's, "...is it true?" Sasuke sighed.

"Yes. I could tell, with my Mangekyo Sharingan, that it was the real thing. Such...magnificent power." Kakashi slouched back in his chair and let out a loud breath.

"Okay...give me a moment." He readjusted himself in his seat, clasped his hands, and rested his chin on his fingers. "I want to hear the whole story." Naruto told the bulk of the story, throwing crazy sound effects and rambunctious hand motions. It was a good thing Kakashi had locked the door and activated the privacy seals, because this would have been embarrassing to walk in on. But they were used to it, because that was just Naruto. His childishness was what kept him so strong. So...sane.

Shikamaru and Sasuke would butt in occasionally to give a different perspective, although they weren't nearly as excited as their blonde teammate.

At the end of the tale, Kakashi was leaning on his one arm, staring at Naruto in sarcastic awe.

"Only you Naruto...only you would make a discovery so monumental it could change the world, but at the same time out our village in a big pile of shit, that shit being a war." Naruto looked slightly offended.

"You know it was the right thing to do. Would you rather have the Rinnegan as an ally, or an enemy? I think that no matter what, if Hanzo really does have a force large enough to retake Hidden Rain, then Akatsuki is going to get other allies. Their country and their ideals are on the line here. They'll do everything to defend that." Kakashi sighed.

"And you believe this why?" He asked lazily.

"Because Jiraiya taught them Ninjutsu. And you and I both know how good a teacher he is." Kakashi conceded that; if these kids were anything like Minato or Naruto, then they were destined for greatness.

"It's okay Naruto. I overreacted a little. It was a smart move. It's just another war so soon...I had wished not to see one as Hokage. I guess that's impossible." A determined look spread across his face, and he regained his composure. "Very well. We'll begin to start stockpiling weapons and clothing and store them in the old Root warehouses. It's about damn time we found a use for them." The members of Team 7 grinned at each other. They would be fine. Kakashi was a damn good leader. "Hey, starting next week, we double training sessions. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Oh, and I'll be bringing a few friends." They shuddered at that. Hopefully it wasn't Anko. "Anko will be delighted to see you Shikamaru." The Nara boy groaned. Anko liked to take advantage of Shikamaru's passive nature, and she was usually all over him, leaving his clothes ripped and bloody, and his body full of bite marks. It was disturbing, but Shikamaru just chalked it up as another troublesome thing in life.

"I can't wait Sensei." 

XxX

Extra Content: The New Summoner

"Wait...you mean I can summon Toads if I sign that?" A fourteen year old Naruto asked, staring in awe at Jiraiya's scroll.

"That's right. It's only right that you do, considering both your father and Jiraiya fought alongside the Toads. Jiraiya would have had you sign it sooner or later anyway, so I say it's a great idea." Kakashi stated, earning s vigorous nod from Naruto.

"I definitely wanna sign it. I'll carry it around like Uncle Jiraiya did too. To show people exactly who I am." Kakashi chuckled and shook his head. He loved being a target.

"Okay, here's what you do:" Kakashi started, unraveling the scroll, "first sign your name in blood, then stamp your fingers at the bottom." Naruto nodded and looked down at the scroll, smiling at the last name.

_Minato Namikaze_

He took a kunai out and sliced his finger, quickly signing the scroll in neat calligraphy, and stamping his hand with pride.

"Congratulations Naruto, you're the newest Toad Summoner. Go try it out-not here! I'll be damned if you summon Gamabunta on my head." Naruto shrugged and flickered away, quickly appearing at his training ground, scroll in hand. He memorized the seals written on the scroll, and when he got them down he was ready to try. He bit his thumb before flashing through hand seals and slamming his hands on the ground.

"Summoning Technique!" A large plume of smoke erupted around him, clouding his vision. When it finally dispersed, a three foot tall orange and blue toad was sitting on the grass.

"Yo! Who the hell are you?" Naruto cocked his head.

"I'm Naruto, ninja of the Leaf Village. Who are you?" The toad grinned.

"I'm Gamakichi bro! I come from Mount Myoboku!" Naruto smiled as he shook his hand with Gamakichi's flipper.

"Nice to meet you. So, what kind of techniques do you know?" Naruto asked eagerly. Gamakichi flexed his muscles.

"Yo, I'm good as hell at Frog Kumite, and my Ninjutsu ain't that bad. Pops is gonna teach me how to wield a weapon soon, but I haven't decided what kind yet." Naruto nodded thoughtfully.

"Awesome! We have to spar one time!" Gamakichi nodded back.

"Yea! Hey, I should bring you back to Mount Myoboku, to meet the Boss and the elders. They need to meet the new Summoner after all." Naruto shrugged.

"Okay, how do we get there?" Gamakichi took his arm.

"You don't want me to explain." Naruto gulped, and then suddenly it felt like he was torn in half, stitched together, and torn in half again, before his equilibrium balanced, and he was on his hands and knees, breathing heavily.

"You okay bro?" Gamakichi asked sounding slightly concerned.

"I feel like I just died." He panted out.

"Yea, that'll happen the first time. Next time, it'll only feel like all your bones are broken." Naruto winced and slowly pushed himself up.

"Right, well let's get this over with." Gamakichi lead Naruto to his giant home, where Shima, Fukasaku and Gamabunta were lounging about, drinking sake. Gamabunta exhaled a large amount of smoke from his cigar as he spotted his son and the new summoner.

"Gamakichi, that's an interesting thing you've got there." Naruto looked up at the giant toad and waved.

"Hi, I'm Naruto Namikaze! Nice to meet you Gamabunta!" Gamabunta's eyes widened, and he scrutinized the boy.

"Namikaze eh...it's been awhile boy. " Naruto cocked his head. "I held you the day you were born." Naruto smiled.

"That would make sense...nice to see you again too." Gamabunta laughed.

"I like you boy! Come share a cup of sake with me! We shall finalize the bond between Toad and Summoner." Naruto took the cup offered and downed its contents in one go, grimacing at the taste.

"Gamabunta! How can you force a child to drink?" Shima scolded loudly.

"Old enough to kill, old enough to drink. This is Minato's son, so I bet he's a damn fine ninja. Let him relax." Shima sighed, and Fukasaku chuckled.

"Do not worry dear, he'll be fine." Fukasaku, hopped over to Naruto. "So you're the boy Jiraiya wouldn't shut up about..." Naruto rolled his eyes. "I'm Fukasaku, and this is my wife Shima. We were there when..." Naruto's eyes widened in recognition, and he nodded. Fukasaku studied the boy for a moment, before smiling. "You've got your father's eyes, and Jiraiya's determination; I can't wait to train you." Naruto stared at him in confusion.

"Train me? What do you mean?"

"I could train you in the art of Senjutsu, just like I did with Jiraiya. You could be the next Toad Sage. Hell, maybe you'll master it where Jiraiya could not." Naruto gazed at Fukasaku with determination.

"I want to do it. If Uncle did it, I can too." Fukasaku grinned.

"Are you sure? You would have to come live here for a year, so I could adequately train you. Leaving your village could be scary. Not only that, but this training is brutal and vigorous, and there's a slight chance you may never come back." Naruto flinched at the warning, but steeled his resolve.

"I won't give up. I'll surpass Jiraiya, just watch." Fukasaku clapped his hands together.

"Excellent. I shall visit the Leaf Village to make arrangements with the Hokage. Get ready Naruto, because when I'm through with you, you'll be one of the most dangerous people on the continent." 

XxX

**A/N: Well, that's done. ******

**So the first thing I'll talk about is the outfits. I never did descriptions of them before, cuz they would just keep changing. But those are the outfits for the rest of the story. Take that as you will.******

**So, you can see how I set up the main arc. Hanzo is a badass. So he's the villain. Aoi is a badass too, not the punk he used to be. ******

**Akatsuki is old Akatsuki, and Yahiko isn't dead, and Nagato isn't old. I like them a lot, and they were the basis of the story when it first came out. It's a great concept to explore, because of their common teacher in Jiraiya. It's also kind of like what if Nagato was on Naruto's side, except Yahiko id there too. ******

**So, the war isn't necessarily here, they're just taking preemptive action. It's always good to prepare.******

**The EC was fun to write. There will be more about his actual training later.******

**Anyway if you got anything to say, let me know. Hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading. Peace.**


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Dark Horizons

"Congratulations, you three are the newest Jonin of the Hidden Leaf." Naruto's eyes widened.

"What? But we failed our Exam." Kakashi rolled his eye.

"And instead you uncovered a ticking time bomb waiting to explode on the continent. Not to mention a man with a power not seen in centuries. Plus with conflict around the corner, putting you three in a position to, say, lead a division of Leaf ninja is something I know will benefit us." The three new Jonin looked at Kakashi with gratitude in their eyes.

"Thank you Sensei...we won't let you down." 

XxX

Sasuke, Naruto and Shikamaru were gathered together at the head of the council room, all eyes focused on them. Kakashi had brought them in to explain the new developments to the council, and hopefully garner some kind of support.

"Very well. Jonins Naruto Namikaze, Sasuke Uchiha, and Shikamaru Nara, you may begin." Shikaku ordered from his seat next to the Hokage. Shikamaru stepped forward.

"On a recent mission to capture the rouge ninja Aoi Rokusho, we discovered some troublesome things." He looked around to see that he had everyone's full attention. "It all comes down to this: conflict is brewing in Rain, and we agree, we being Lord Hokage and my teammates, that the Fourth Shinobi World War looms on the horizon." Shikamaru could almost feel the surprise emanating from everyone in the room.

"I'm sorry, but what?" Hiashi Hyuuga asked boldly. "That's a very sensitive declaration." Shikamaru nodded.

"I'm aware of that Lord Hyuuga. However, this is not to be taken lightly. We've been enlightened to many...intriguing things lately." The Nara stated.

"Such as?" Guy asked, surprisingly serious for once.

"Hanzo the Salamander is alive." A few eyebrows shot up at that. "And he could potentially have a small army at his hands." Choza grunted.

"A formidable man indeed." Inoichi nodded at his long-time friend. "Tsunade Senju may very well be the last person alive to survive an encounter with him, besides Mifune of the Land of Iron." He stated forewarningly.

"Not quite." Shikamaru corrected him. "The three current leaders of Hidden Rain, are the ones who forced him into hiding. Has anyone ever heard of Akatsuki?" At Shikamaru's question, Ibiki coughed.

"Whispers of their name, nothing more. They're extremely elusive, and they're so secretive that you'd have to be a village leader to even have a shot at contacting them. You say they now control Hidden Rain?" Shikamaru nodded.

"Yes. The three leaders of Akatsuki make up Hidden Rain's triumvirate." It was silent as the council members absorbed the info.

"They must be powerful if they forced Hanzo into hiding." Shikaku conjectured, earning a shaky sigh from Shikamaru.

"Very powerful. I'm afraid that they're stronger than the Sannin were during their prime." He was met with a chorus of gasps.

"Stronger than the Sannin? They may be scattered to the winds now, but during the war...their strength was unmatched." Homura, bring one of the only people alive during the Second War, retorted disbelievingly. Shikamaru sighed.

"I'll let Naruto explain." Naruto nodded at his teammate.

"Do either of you," Naruto started to ask, looking at Koharu and Homura, "remember when Jiraiya disappeared during the war?" The two ex-elders seemed surprised by his knowledge, and nodded slowly.

"Yes, but it was never clear why." Koharu stated.

"Well, long story short, he trained three orphans in the art of Ninjutsu. And by some sick twist of fate, or act of god, or whatever you want to call it, those orphans are the current leaders of Akatsuki and the Village Hidden in the Rain." It was a startling revelation, and piled on top of everything else, it seemed preposterous.

"So Jiraiya trained them. And they have surpassed him?" Shibi asked, even his facade of no emotion slightly cracked.

"I have never seen their full strength...but they were students of Jiraiya. They wouldn't give up until they were the best." He stated faithfully. "But...I still haven't told you the part you should freak out about yet." A loud groan came from Tsume.

"Are you kidding kid? Not even a nuclear bomb could drop harder than what you just told us." Naruto cracked a smile and a snort escaped him. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

"Okay, most of you aren't going to believe me when I tell you this, because quite frankly it's a little ridiculous. But it is the truth. And it's what convinced me agree to the alliance." It was dead silent, as everyone was on the edge of their seats. "One of the leaders, Nagato, possesses the Doujutsu of the Sage of the Six Paths, the Rinnegan." Everyone had some sort of expression of shock on their face from that revelation, and Naruto just nodded. Silence reigned for ten minutes, until finally Hiashi spoke up.

"The Rinnegan...I would not want that as an enemy." Naruto's face brightened.

"That's what I said!" Naruto exclaimed, losing his composure. Kakashi sighed and rolled his eyes. He cleared his throat, garnering everyone's attention.

"So, now that you know everything, I'd like to hear from each of you on what you want to do. This is obviously a volatile situation, and we're lucky we have the privilege of planning our strategy. I'll start." He cleared his throat.

"My students and I discussed the issue, and we believe that whether or not we agreed to the alliance, this conflict will spread anyway. Hanzo is a dangerous man. I think it falls in the Leaf's best interest to ally with Rain." He looked to his right. "Guy?" The eccentric Jonin cleared his throat.

"This is all so unyouthful." Kakashi grinned. Typical. "But I agree as well. We must prepare to have an edge." Kakashi nodded and looked at Choza.

"I'm ready to pick up my staff and defend my home. Just say the word Lord Hokage." Next was Inoichi.

"Well, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio never deserts each other. I'll stand by my comrade." Choza smiled at his friend. Kakashi looked at Homura.

"I will not fight in this war, so my opinion means little. But I will give a piece of advice: think not only of yourselves, but of the village as a whole." He leaned back after that, and his old teammate gestured to her right, having the same sentiments as him. Tenzo cleared his throat.

"ANBU is ready for war. We go where you command Lord Hokage." He replied loyally. Kakashi motioned for the next speaker to give their input.

"The Rinnegan..." Hiashi started wearily, "...a troubling sign indeed. As I said before, I would not want it as my enemy. If in order to do that we must ally ourselves with it, then so be it." Kakashi nodded and looked at Tsume on Hiashi's right.

"We have close to no information on our enemies, and they've issued no threat to us directly. We're basically charging in deaf and blind." She stated negatively. But then she smirked. "You'll need my nose if you wanna get anywhere." Shibi sat next to her.

"The logical thing to do would be to do more reconnaissance in our enemy before we come to a decision. However, that would be a waste of time, seeing as our enemies have already eluded us for decades. Any information to be gained on them would be through Akatsuki." Shibi gestured to Ibiki to go next.

"T&I is gonna be busy soon huh? I love it when you can hear the echoes of the prisoners..." There was a slight pause, considering how fucked up that was, until finally it came full circle, and Shikaku was the last to speak.

"I have a lot of faith in my son's team. If they believe we need this alliance, I support them. Also, as my teammate said, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio never deserts each other. " Kakashi nodded with finality.

"Very well, it looks like we're going to war. Not that we really had a choice." He leveled Naruto with the glare, and the blonde looked away abashedly. "I've already started to stockpile supplies, so the next thing to do is to train our forces. Do not mention the war yet, but see if you can't inspire some of your friends and family to train harder. As for you three," He said, pointing at his students, "you have a long-term mission." They let out a collective groan.

"But we just got back." Naruto retorted. Kakashi shrugged.

"Your fault for bringing back information like that. Take the rest of the day off, and meet me in my office in the morning."

"Temari is going to kill me..." Naruto looked at Shikamaru with pity, and Sasuke's eyes expanded to the size of golf balls.

"Oh shit..." His teammates looked at him, their expressions voicing their question. "I forgot to tell Kairi we were on a mission." At that, everyone's eyes, even those of the clan heads and such, widened.

"Oh dude you're so dead." 

XxX

"She actually cut him!" Naruto shouted as he fell on the ground in a fit of laughter. Shikamaru was just staring at the scene with hopelessness on his face.

"I can see Temari doin something like that…" He mumbled. Meanwhile, Sasuke was staring down at his chest in shock, for a bloody gash stretched from his left shoulder to his right ribcage.

"You actually cut me!" He shouted traumatically.

"I told you if you got any closer I would!" Kairi shouted angrily, her katana still gripped tightly in her hand.

"I didn't think you would actually do it!" He shouted back. "At least heal me?" He asked after a moment. She looked at him, sighed, and sheathed her katana. She approached him and her hands flared up with green chakra. It took her about 5 minutes to heal the wound completely, but a scar was definitely going to be visible. She sighed and looked up at him.

"I'm sorry. It's just...that's how it feels..." His eyes widened and he pulled her into a hug. They stayed like the for a moment, reveling it the comfort, before Sasuke realized what he was going to do.

"I'm sorry too. But I have to tell you something." He pushed her off him and she looked at him curiously. "I have another long-term mission tomorrow." Her eyes widened.

"Are you fucking-" She stomped off suddenly, leaving Sasuke confused.

"Where are you going?"

"To kill the Hokage!" Sasuke's eyes widened, and he immediately surveyed his surroundings, hoping to whatever god there was that no ANBU were around.

"Don't say that out loud!" Meanwhile, Naruto was still laughing but he had somewhat gathered his composure.

"This is entertainment right here Shikamaru. She's fuckin aggressive and crazy. How does he handle her?" Shikamaru glared at him.

"Shut up. I don't wanna think about that. Let's just get out of here; I think Sasuke is going to try and calm her down by seducing her." Naruto looked at him curiously.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because his shirts already off." Naruto looked at his friend, and sure enough, Kairi was on top of a shirtless Uchiha.

"Well damn. Ichiraku's?" Shikamaru nodded, and both of them flickered away as fast as they could. 

XxX

Naruto took a long drag of a joint and let out a relaxed sigh. He loved sitting on his father's head and admiring the village, especially at night. Shikamaru had left him hours ago, saying that he had to spend time with Temari before he left. So it had been a lonely dinner, and then a lonely walk around the village before he had decided to talk to his dad.

"Things are getting real." He said quietly, taking another drag. "I never really thought about war before...sure we've had battles, but those were failed invasions. They were only a day long. But the idea of fighting constantly...never seeing home...watching comrades die...what if I can't handle it? If I'm in charge of people's lives...what am I supposed to do when one dies?" He sighed and shook his head. "It makes me feel good that Sensei thinks I'm ready for it...but I'm not sure I agree." He finished the joint and flicked it away, accidentally hitting Minato's nose. "Whoops, sorry dad. If I could reach, I would have flicked it in Kakashi's hair."

"That seems unnecessary." Naruto jumped up and turned around, frowning as he faced Kakashi.

"I hate that I still can't sense you unless I'm in Sage Mode." Kakashi smiled cheekily.

"Remember who taught you Ninjutsu Naruto." The blonde rolled his eyes but grinned.

"So how much did you hear?"

"From 'what am I supposed to do when one dies'." The Hokage sighed and approached Naruto, putting a hand on his shoulder to comfort the boy. "War is never easy Naruto, and it's unforgiving. As much as I hate to say it, you must steel your heart. You cannot stop everyone from dying, this isn't a mission. You can only try to kill them as fast as you can." Naruto looked up at Kakashi.

"I see. Then could I ask a favor?"

"What kind of favor?" Kakashi asked skeptically.

"Can you postpone our mission for a week?" Kakashi motioned for him to elaborate. "If I need to kill them faster...then I need the Flying Thunder God Technique." Kakashi's eye widened.

"You can't learn the Flying Thunder God Technique in one week! I don't care how many Shadow Clones you use!" Naruto smirked.

"Watch me." 

XxX

And so he did. And right now he was going to prove it to Kakashi. Naruto stood on the roof of a building across from the Hokage's office window. Kakashi was completely unaware, and Naruto was itching to show off. He knew the ANBU in the office would probably attack him, but with his new technique it was no problem.

Kakashi's pulled his headband up as his window shattered open, a single, familiar looking kunai embedding itself in his desk. It had three prongs, and an orange seal tag wrapped around the handle.

"For fuck's sake-"he couldn't finish, because suddenly Naruto appeared in an orange flash, kneeling on Kakashi's desk.

"I-"he teleported away as one ANBU dove at him, and he reappeared as he passed"-did-"once again he disappeared and teleported back as an ANBU helplessly charged into nothing"-it!" Kakashi sighed.

"ANBU! Disengage!" The operatives disappeared in flash, leaving the Hokage and his student alone. "Dammit Naruto, what the hell!" Naruto smiled.

"What do you mean? I did it." Kakashi glared at him.

"You do realize that my ANBU could have killed you right?" Naruto shook his head.

"No they couldn't. Since when can anyone keep up with my father's technique? You don't have to worry anymore Kakashi. I can win." Kakashi's eye widened. He finally understood. Naruto simply wanted to shoulder the burden alone, and save everyone else the trouble. With the Flying Thunder God Technique, and a thousand Shadow Clones...the boy would be unstoppable.

"Naruto...you don't-"

"I'm a Jinchuriki. My life is a sacrifice. If I can save people...I'm okay with it." Kakashi felt a twinge of sadness stab at him. His student was so noble…and yet one day it would prove to be his downfall.

"Very well. I'll send for Shikamaru and Sasuke. Your mission starts now." 

XxX

Aoi grinned as he stepped foot into a small, remote village in the middle of Rain Country. It was an average sized village, with average people that were averagely wealthy. To an outsider at least. The village was really a cover for the secret hideout of Hanzo the Salamander and his followers. Each 'villager' was really a rebel Rain ninja under Hanzo's command.

The hideout was based under, literally under, the village, in a system of stairways, tunnels and pipes. Everything that they needed was down there, from food to clothing to training grounds, and if they needed anything, a 'merchant' was sent to another village to procure wares.

Steal it in essence.

Everything about it was perfect, and soon their hard work would pay off. Hanzo had said they were almost ready.

Aoi finally reached his master's chambers, and found him admiring a glass tank with a purple salamander in it.

"Lord Hanzo." The ex-Rain leader waved the formality away.

"Report Aoi."

"Akatsuki found me out, and I was forced to flee the village. A minor setback. However, I met a few hostiles that could potentially be dangerous." Hanzo's eyebrow rose.

"Go on."

"The son of the Fourth Hokage." Hanzo stiffened. "As well as the last Uchiha, and the heir to the Nara clan. You've read my reports about them in the past?" Hanzo nodded.

"Yes, they could possibly throw a wrench in our plans. Especially considering the piece of information one of your spies brought me." Aoi scowled.

"What information?"

"The Hidden Rain and Hidden Leaf have come to some sort of agreement...thanks to the Namikaze boy." Aoi's eyes widened.

"So soon..." Suddenly a devious smirk crossed his face. "If I may sir, I think I have a solution to our problem." Hanzo nodded. "I've come to possess certain knowledge about an international secret dealing with Fort Tsunanka..." 

XxX

Extra Content: Sasuke's New Blades

"So why are you leading us to an armory again?" Naruto asked as he and Shikamaru trailed behind Sasuke.

"I told you, I want swords to use with my Chikari." Sasuke repeated. "Hurry up, we're almost there." They finally reached the armory, and Naruto's eyes widened in awe as they entered.

"Woah...so many weapons." Sasuke walked back to the swords immediately, leaving the other two to explore. "Hey Shikamaru, check this out." Naruto grabbed a battle axe off of the wall and hefted it onto his shoulder, slightly wincing at the weight.

"You know...somehow that's perfect for you in every way." The Nara stated, shaking his head. "Would you actually use that?" Naruto shrugged.

"Possibly. I'd have to get used to the weight, and I'd have to learn how to be really quiet while lugging this thing around. It would be so much fun though..." He sighed and put it back on the wall. "I don't really need a weapon. I like to use my hands." Shikamaru looked up from a set of kunai.

"You can never have too many tools Naruto. Take these kunai for example." Naruto walked over and stared curiously at the kunai. Instead of a dull black, they were matte green, and they shimmered if you looked closely. "These aren't normal kunai, they're chakra conducting kunai. Not only that, but they're camouflage as well. These are perfect for me, because now I can catch people in my shadow techniques without getting near them." He picked up two bags of the kunai. "I'm actually gonna buy these. Shoulda been a goddamn salesman..." He grumbled as he walked up to the register with his purchase. Naruto spotted Sasuke holding two similar Wakizashi swords, so the blonde went to get a better look. The blades were pure silver, and wider than usual with square teeth cut into one side. There was no guard, and the hilt was black and shorter than a usual hilt.

"These are perfect. They're made of the same stuff Sensei's blade is made out of." The Uchiha explained.

"Interesting. So will that be hard to adjust to?" Naruto asked, sliding his finger across the blade.

"They're practically weightless, and they give me better range. If anything it'll be easier." He surmised with a smirk.

Naruto was the only one to walk out without a new purchase, much to the dismay of the shop owner. His first suggestion as soon as they left was to go test them out, so that's exactly what they did.

Sasuke had found out that if he really wanted to, he could probably cut canyons into the earth. Of course it would take an extreme amount of chakra to pull that off, but the destructive power of the swords was nothing to scoff at.

Shikamaru was just relieved that he wouldn't have to move around as much thanks to his new weapons.

After Naruto was done being the target for the new weapons, the three boys dispersed and trudged home to await another day. 

XxX

**A/N: I've been on my grind. You guys should be happy.******

**So I promoted them anyway. It makes sense, cuz usually promotions are thrown around like candy before a war. They play a huge role in the war, obviously, so they should at least be Jonin.******

**The council meeting was fun. It was kinda pointless, considering Naruto had already agreed to the alliance, but politics are interesting. Nothing more than filler really.******

**I like Sasuke and Kairi. She's really genuine, and I feel like they mesh well. That scene was fun too******

**The part on top of the Hokage mountain was a tender moment for Naruto. He feels at ease near his father, so he goes there to clear his head. Kakashi is obviously the closest thing he has to a dad at this point, so him being up there is on purpose. Kakashi knows his students very well.******

**And yes he mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique in a week. Before you say anything, think. 1000 clones= 1000 times faster. Let's say it took Minato a year to master it. It would take Naruto, .365 days to master it. That's one third of a day. If anything I'm stretching it out. Also, when I do explain it, get ready for a surprise. He did more than master it...******

**So if you're smart you'll see why I put all of those Leaf vs Rock scenes. Now a real war starts, and that's not even it.******

**The EC wasn't anything too interesting, just a little thing about the weapons. Right now on my list of things to do in EC are A Training Session with the Hokage, Toad Sage Training, Flying Thunder God Training, Sasuke vs Naruto...and I guess that's all I got for now. Maybe one of Jiraiya in Heaven? Something with Jiraiya, I miss him.******

**Anyway as usual if you got comments, questions, concerns, tips, tricks or crack cocaine, leave a review and I'll get back to you. Hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading. Peace.**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Uzumaki

Shikamaru and Sasuke walked into the Hokage's office, gaping at the damage to the room.

"What..." The words died in his throat, as Shikamaru felt hopelessly speechless.

"Naruto did it. And he's paying for it." The orange cloaked boy shrugged at Kakashi's statement.

"It's not like I don't have too much money already." Kakashi shook his head.

"The things that you say..." The Hokage sighed. "Let's get down to business. I have a long-term, S-Rank assignment for you three. Do you accept?" They nodded astutely. "As always. Your assignment is to act as a liaison between us and Hidden Rain. Your primary mission is to gather information about our enemy, as well as Akatsuki. Your secondary mission is to assist them in any way you can when it comes to information gathering." He paused. "Try not to pick any fights."

"Trouble always find us Sensei." Naruto stated with a deadpan glare.

"Yes I'm quite aware." He cleared his throat. "You leave immediately. Naruto, I want weekly updates through Toad summons. I'll get a few bags of candy for them." Naruto nodded. "Good luck boys. Hopefully I'll see you soon." 

XxX

"No foreign ninja allowed." Naruto growled at the gate guard, who repeatedly refused them entrance to the Hidden Rain Village.

"We're allies! I was just here a week ago with your leaders! Call them down here so that we can stop wasting time!" The impatient blonde shouted.

"That won't be necessary. Let them pass." The gate guard whipped around and immediately bowed.

"As you wish Lord Nagato." The gate guard stepped aside dutifully, letting Team 7 enter the village. Naruto walked up to Nagato and smiled.

"Thanks for that. How did you know to come get us?" Nagato returned his friendly smile.

"I sensed your chakra signatures. I figured you would have trouble getting into the village. We're not very open to the outside world, for reasons I'm sure you understand." The three Leaf ninja nodded. "Come stand by me, Yahiko and Konan are waiting." The three boys looked at each other before standing around Nagato. The red-head put his hand into a single hand seal, and after a bright, white flash, they found themselves in the office of the Akatsuki leaders.

"Ah, Nagato, you have returned. Then we can get this meeting started." Yahiko greeted amicably. "Tell me, how did your Hokage take the news Naruto?" The blonde shrugged.

"It went okay. I mean I got some shit for it, but once I mentioned the Rinnegan, everyone was on my side." Yahiko laughed at the blondes blunt explanation.

"Well, that is what we had hoped would happen. So then that brings us to the question of why you are here." Yahiko said.

"We're here as liaisons between our villages, and to help gather information on our enemies." Naruto explained easily. "Basically were under your command now. And were ready to work." Yahiko smiled at the boy's aggressiveness.

"Is that so? Well then, I think I can arrange for that to happen. I'll only need one of you though, and I'll need the strongest of the three of you in stealth and infiltration." The orange haired man stated. Naruto stepped forward.

"That would be me." Yahiko's brow rose.

"Following in Jiraiya's footsteps?" Naruto smirked.

"Something like that." The Akatsuki leader chuckled.

"Very well. Nagato, you already know what to do." The red head nodded. "Take Naruto and explain on the way. I'm afraid we've let this drag out long enough." Nagato nodded.

"Of course. We'll get it done." He whipped around, his cloak sweeping up around him as he did, and motioned for Naruto to follow. The blonde quickly shot confused glances at his teammates before rushing out after Nagato. Sasuke and Shikamaru looked at Yahiko with questioning eyes, who cleared his throat to ease their confusion.

"Naruto and Nagato are heading to the supposed location of the rebel hideout. They are going to infiltrate the base and gather information on our enemy." He explained quickly. It seemed to appease the Leaf ninja, and they nodded. "Since your teammate is gone, would you like a tour of the village? Konan would be glad to show you around." The two raven haired boys shrugged.

"Sure, why not. I guess I have to wear my hood huh? Troublesome." Shikamaru grumbled, pulling his hood over his head and walking out of the room. Konan followed with a slight grin on her face, and Sasuke followed her out after a quick nod to Yahiko. He just shook his head. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have stumbled upon Naruto. Now things would definitely have a happy ending. 

XxX

"So we're breaking into the base? Alright sounds good. I can do that." Naruto stated confidently as he and Nagato ran across the rain soaked plains of Rain Country.

"Yes, but it's not so easy. You see, the base, is a village. Well, that's the cover for it anyway. It's quite clever, but just the kinda thing I'd expect from Hanzo." Nagato replied, suddenly coming to a stop. "We rest here." Naruto shrugged at the man and plopped onto the ground, causing Nagato to chuckle.

"That looks uncomfortable. Stand up, and give me a moment." Naruto obeyed, and gasped when he saw a white barrier expand from Nagato that covered the surrounding area. Naruto was shocked to feel that the rain had stopped.

"What..." Nagato smirked and shook his head.

"These eyes..." All of the water soaked into Naruto's clothes suddenly evaporated, leaving them soft and dry, "...give me the power to do anything. It's a blessing." Naruto just shook his head.

"Such power...the Sharingan and Byakugan are dwarfed by the Rinnegan's power." He jumped a little when a flame suddenly burst up between them, illuminating the quarantined area. "Dammit..."

They cooked some raw pork til it was golden brown over the fire, and Naruto was extremely pleased with the result. He thanked Nagato multiple times for the delicious meat, but Nagato had waved him off.

Naruto noticed Nagato staring at the back of his cloak, where a red spiral was emblazoned. The aura he gave off was one of sadness, and Naruto felt compelled to ask what was wrong.

"Are you okay Nagato?" Nagato looked up at him, but quickly averted his gaze.

"That crest...why do you wear it?" Naruto smiled.

"Well, it's on almost everyone's uniform in the Leaf Village. But this crest is the crest of my mother's clan, so I wear it for her." Nagato's eyes widened.

"Your mother...was an Uzumaki?" Naruto stared at him in shock.

"How did you..." He couldn't finish his thought, and so silence hung in the air.

"I'm an Uzumaki." Nagato replied after a minute. "I can't believe there are other survivors." Naruto just shook his head.

"So we're related. I wonder how closely?" Nagato shrugged.

"No idea. What was your mother's name. I was very young when we left, but I remember a few people. Like my friends and family."

"Her name was Kushina Uzumaki." Nagato's face contorted with shock.

"Kushina made it out alive?" Naruto's brow rose.

"So you knew her?" Nagato nodded.

"Yes. She was a childhood friend of mine. It is...nice to know she made it out okay. Hehe...and she bagged the Fourth Hokage. Only Kushina..." The red head shook his head and smiled at Naruto. "And you're her son. I'm gonna call you little brother." Naruto cocked his head.

"What the hell? I'm not little." Nagato chuckled.

"Oh, but you are. In so many ways. But don't worry little brother, I'll guide you down the right path." Nagato watched Naruto with great amusement as the blonde boy glared at him bizarrely.

"Do I have to call you big brother now?" Nagato waved him off.

"I'm just kidding. It's just nice to know another Uzumaki is out there. We are family after all." Naruto looked up at the sky with a sad smile.

"I never had a family...Jiraiya looked after me but after he was gone...I was lonely. Of course I had friends...but I didn't have anyone I could truly consider family." The sadness melted away, and he beamed at Nagato. "But now I found you! So I won't be lonely anymore." The blonde boy closed his eyes and grinned widely. "And neither will you, big brother." 

XxX

"There, that's the village." Nagato stated, pointing off in the distance. "Now we need a way in." Naruto nodded.

"I got it." He flew through a few hand signs and slammed his hand on the ground, causing a small gray and blue toad to appear. The toad's mouth unhinged unnaturally wide, and Nagato watched with interest. "Hop in." Nagato's eyes widened.

"In the-" He couldn't finish his sentence, for he had been shoved into the toad's mouth by Naruto, who followed him in. The Rinnegan wielder was surprised to find himself standing in what looked like a small cavern.

"This is by far the oddest thing I've ever experienced." Naruto shrugged.

"I figured you wouldn't believe me if I explained. Better to just show you."

"Fair enough. So explain to me what happens from here." Nagato said curiously.

"Well, right now my toad is heading to the village. He'll look for anything that looks like it could be a secret base or hideout and infiltrate it easily. Once in, we'll get out and do some exploring." Nagato nodded.

"So now we wait?"

And wait they did. The little toad easily found the secret entrance to the hideout when they got to the village; there had been so many out-of-place scents leading right up to it. Nagato was relieved to finally be in the outside world again, even though they were in hostile territory. Naruto activated his cloaking technique, while Nagato activated one of his own, and they started to scour the base. They took note of the various supplies and rations as they maneuvered through the base, avoiding any rebels with practiced ease. The base was quite large, so it was a tedious process, but they stayed vigilant and on-guard, in case anything went wrong. Finally, they had searched almost every part of the base, when they came to a large, glass hallway. They started to walk through it, and Nagato looked down, halting in his tracks.

"That's impossible..." Naruto looked down immediately and let out a gasp.

"So many...it's an entire army." Below the glass hallway was a room of gigantic proportions that was currently housing what looked like an entire Hidden Village of ninja. They were going through various training exercises and drills, honing their skills for when Hanzo struck. "Hanzo's been busy." Nagato could only nod. "I think this is when we report back." The red head whole-heartedly agreed, and they zipped through the base as fast as they could, urgency pushing them harder. As they exited, they happened to see Aoi leaving the village, and Nagato made a split second decision.

"Naruto, can your toads act as messengers as well?" He asked, earning a nod. "Good. Have one relay our intel to your teammates. We're going to follow Aoi. There had to be a reason he's leaving the village, and I wanna know what it is." Naruto summoned a small toad and handed it an encrypted message he had written moments ago. They dashed off as soon as the toad left, hot on the trail of the traitor. 

XxX

"Sasuke, please have a seat." The raven-haired boy sat down in front of Yahiko, his muscles slightly tense. He had no idea why the Akatsuki leader had wanted to talk to him alone, but he wasn't dropping his guard.

"What do you want?" Yahiko stared at the boy before a chuckle escaped his lips.

"I suppose I should be used to the no bullshit act." The Uchiha quirked a brow and he sighed. "Sasuke, certain things have come to my attention that will probably shock you. You probably don't know much about Akatsuki, so I'll fill you in. Akatsuki fights for the greater good. Our cause is one that leads to peace, even if the ways we go about it are not. But, as you know, we keep a very low profile, and so only the best can be in our organization. So we're mostly made up of S-Class missing ninja from around the Elemental Nations, since we hold loyalties to no village officially." There was a pregnant silence, and Yahiko sighed quietly. "He asked that he be allowed to see you, and I didn't have the heart to refuse." Sasuke's eyes widened as a man stepped out of the shadows, his eyes blazing red with the Mangekyo Sharingan.

"Hello...little brother." 

XxX

Extra Content: One With Nature

Peace was a consistent pleasure on Mount Myoboku, and so it felt like paradise to Naruto. The beautiful golden-brown oil falls, the luscious, colorful and lively vegetation, the bright and cheery, picture-perfect sky; Naruto couldn't have described heaven any better.

"Pretty cool huh bro?" Naruto glanced over at Gamakichi, who was admiring the oilfall. "Mount Myoboku is a sacred place, and Nature Energy flows abundantly and easily through here. It's why the landscape is so different." Naruto nodded.

"It's amazing..." He heard the banging of a cane against the ground behind him, and the blonde turned to see Fukasaku staring at him.

"You'll have time to admire later. Your training will begin now." Naruto shrugged and nodded.

"Alright. I'm ready." Fukasaku grinned.

"Boy, this will be the hardest training you will ever endure, but when I'm done with you, even the Five Kage will think twice about messing with you." Naruto's eyes widened.

"That's ridiculous. Can you really make me that strong?" Fukasaku shook his head and jumped up, poking Naruto in the chest.

"That is up to you. You have more potential than anyone I've ever seen, and you have the drive to push yourself beyond your limits. As long as you give it your best, then I have no doubt you will succeed." Naruto smirked.

"Well I'll never give up. If my uncle could do it, I can too." Fukasaku nodded.

"Let's hope you're right. The first exercise is to help you feel Nature Chakra. Go sit under that oilfall and meditate until you feel the Nature Energy flow through you. You'll know when you feel it." Naruto obeyed and started his meditation. A few minutes in, a smile crossed his face.

"Whoa...this feels incredible. Is this Nature Energy?" Fukasaku nodded.

"It is. I can feel it radiating off of your body like a star...Naruto this is incredible." Fukasaku stated, admiring the boy in awe. Naruto continued to meditate, letting the comforting feeling spread through his body. "This is the strongest you will ever feel Natural Energy. The oil here on Mount Myoboku is a sort of conductor for Nature Energy. Right now, the oil is seeping into your skin and working cells in ways they have never worked before. Your chakra coils are strengthening in preparation of molding Nature Chakra. You'll have to memorize this feeling, because you will need to emulate it. As of now, you are One with Nature." Naruto's eyes flashed open, and for a second the marks of the Toad Sage appeared before fading away. Fukasaku's eyes widened.

_'That was...the mark of the sage. This boy is truly a prodigy.'_ The old toad grunted to clear his surprise away, and he glared at Naruto challengingly.

"Now comes step two. I'd like you to know Naruto that no one has ever advanced to step two so quickly. It took Jiraiya a few days before he felt Nature Energy." Naruto grinned.

"I can take whatever you throw at me." Fukasaku pulled out a paddle from his cloak.

"Then you'll love this. Try to channel Nature Energy." Naruto eyed the paddle but obeyed nonetheless. After a few moments, he felt the familiar energy start to flow through him, and started to smile when he felt something whack him across the face.

"Ah! Dammit that hurt!" Fukasaku chuckled. "What the hell was that for?"

"You were starting to transform. I stopped it." Naruto cocked his head.

"Transform?" The old toad nodded.

"Yes. You see, without the aid of the oil, it's up to your body alone to channel the energy. You do not have the control yet to channel it alone. If the Nature Energy were to take over your body, you would be turned into a toad." Naruto's haw dropped. "So while we practice that, I will beat you with this paddle when you start to fail." Naruto's eyes widened.

"Really? There's no easier way?" Fukasaku shrugged.

"There might be, but you learn faster like this. No one wants to keep getting smacked by a paddle." Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Fine. What do I need to do to channel it right?" Fukasaku tapped his cane on the ground and smiled.

"You must become One with Nature. In order to do that, you must still your body of any movements. You must become part of Nature." Naruto nodded.

"Alright. Can't be that hard." He started to meditate again, and the thwack of paddle on skin echoed through the paradise. And so it did for many hours after that. 

XxX

**A/N: Ok so a little short and boring, but there was that bomb I dropped at the end.******

**So Naruto and Nagato are on a mission. As you can see, Hanzo is more prepared than anyone thought. Now they're following Aoi to wherever.******

**I built the relationship between Naruto and Nagato because they should have been great friends. And they're the last of their clan, so they have a bond. He's about as old as Kushina, so I made them childhood friends. ******

**Itachi is back. I'll leave it at that.******

**The EC was the beginning of Naruto's toad training. There will be more of them. And others.******

**As usual I like suggestions and all that. Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed. Peace.**


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Rising Tension

"Itachi..." Sasuke was utterly stunned. His body had gone limp in his chair, and he could do nothing but stare in disbelief. He was really standing there in front of him...

"I shall give you time alone Itachi. Please tell me when you are finished." Itachi nodded at Yahiko, who quietly exited the room. The older Uchiha circled around the desk to his brother and sighed lightly.

"You have grown so much...almost taller than me." He chuckled and shook his head. "Stronger as well. I can feel it." Sasuke stood slowly and blinked a few times, as if to clear a hazy daydream away. But this was no dream.

"You're really here..." The younger brother stated softly.

"Of course. These eyes could never lie." Sasuke's own eyes widened before he shut them, and then he revealed his own Mangekyo Sharingan. Itachi, now the surprised one, took a step back.

"How do you..." Itachi shook his head. "Dammit. Our family is cursed." He whispered with regret. "When did you get them?"

"Four years ago...at Fort Tsunanka." Itachi nodded. So he had been the same age...his eyes widened suddenly.

"Fort Tsunanka? You don't mean..." Sasuke only nodded. "I had considered the possibility but...to know it really was you...makes more sense than Madara Uchiha." Sasuke snorted.

"The Tsuchikage sounds stupid. He didn't even mention either of the two surviving Uchiha."

"Then again, he is the only man alive today to ever have crossed swords with Madara. I'm sure he's seen the black flames of Amaterasu before, and he automatically connected it to Madara." Sasuke just shook his head.

"It doesn't matter. What does is that you're okay. Itachi...how did you survive?" Itachi looked away.

"The thought of ending it all plagued my mind for awhile," Sasuke's eyes widened, "but I knew I couldn't. It was then that Nagato found me. He gave me a purpose, so that was what I lived for." Itachi explained softly. "And now I get to see you again. So for that, I am grateful." Itachi let out another chuckle, a feat that was very rare for the stoic elite. "To think we would cross paths like this...you do realize that you cannot tell anyone about this right?" Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"No shit...but it doesn't matter anyway. Kakashi is Hokage and Danzo is dead. As is Root." Itachi's brow raised.

"How do you know so much?" He took a breath and paused, deciding whether or not to keep asking questions. His curiosity got the better of him. "What happened to the Third, and Danzo?"

"The Third sacrificed his life to seal the souls of Jiraiya and Sakumo, which had been resurrected by Orochimaru's dastardly technique, with the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. Kakashi killed Orochimaru, and was Hiruzen's chosen successor." He paused and sighed. "I killed Danzo." That caused Itachi's eyes to twitch.

"You can't be serious..." Sasuke looked down.

"I was in Root Itachi...it was an inside job. After too many months Danzo staged a coup. So we betrayed him and killed him." Itachi's eyes were wide now.

"You were in Root? What was your cell specialty?"

"B to S-Rank Assassination and Annihilation. We didn't let anyone go..." The younger one looked into space for a moment and sighed. "But you still had worse...somehow Danzo got you in Root anyway." Itachi's eyebrows dipped in annoyance.

"It angers me to hear you put it that way. Please do not say that ever again." Sasuke smirked.

"Relax. One day...you'll be back. When Naruto is Hokage." Itachi smiled sadly.  
><em><br>__'If only...'___

XxX

"God fucking dammit...he's goin to Hidden Rock." Nagato looked at Naruto curiously.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well they're the guys you go to when you wanna pick a fight with the Hidden Leaf. They're the second strongest village...and their army outnumbers ours three-to-one. And they fucking hate us because of my father. And now my team by association...plus all of the uhh...shenanigans...that have been taking place." The blonde explained.

"Shenanigans?" Nagato asked with a slight grin.

"Yea you know...like the destruction of Fort Tsunanka...and the ambush they sprung on Sasuke during an ANBU mission..." Nagato's eyes widened.

"You were behind Fort Tsunanka? We had been searching for the attacker, thinking he was a rouge ninja we could recruit." Naruto shook his head.

"It was actually just Sasuke. But yea, if he even mentions the Leaf going to war, the Tsuchikage will absolutely sign on the dotted line, if you get what I mean." Nagato chuckled.

"You're extremely odd. But I guess you get that from your mother." Nagato smiled and looked out over the horizon from the lofty cliff edge he was standing on. He could see Earth Country ahead of him it was so high. "Are you sure that's what he's doing?" Naruto nodded.

"It's gotta be. It's the only thing that makes sense." Nagato turned and nodded.

"Ok we go back to Hidden Rain and inform our teammates of these developments. You must tell your Hokage, as well as enlist in Hidden Sand's aid. It seems it is time to start hunting for allies. We'll have a discussion when we get back." Nagato took off towards home, and Naruto followed closely with a grunt. What a waste of a trip. 

XxX

Aoi was glad Hidden Rock was so easy to get into. The Village Hidden in the Rocks was much different than any other ninja village. It was the capital of Earth Country, and both the Daimyo and the Kage lived in the village. One would think that is illogical, but the city is so large, that any invasion would have to number over almost a million men to succeed. They had the rock hard defense, and no one could breach it.

Which is why security was so lax. The irony brought a chuckle to the missing ninja's lips as he wandered through the streets, making no rush to see the Tsuchikage. Sneaking up on that old geezer was gonna be a bitch...

He finally saw the capital building, where both the Earth Throne and Kage Office were located. They each had separate housing in the nicest district of the capital of course.

Aoi decided the best way to meet with the old Kage was to be direct. He didn't need to get himself killed because he was mistaken for an assassin after all. He just hoped that the Tsuchikage was in his office right now. He'd be damned if his infiltration succeeded and the old coot wasn't there!

He melted into the wall with a technique taught to him by Hanzo, and in seconds he was in front of the Tsuchikage, a grin on his face.

"Lord Tsuchikage, a pleasure to meet you." The old Kage disappeared and reappeared behind Aoi, with a tiny light springing to life in his palm.

"Move and I'll obliterate you." Aoi's eyes widened. Already with the Particle Style...

"I have not come here to kill you. I'm not that stupid." The Tsuchikage didn't deactivate his technique.

"You're still an intruder. Tell me why I shouldn't send you to the afterlife." Aoi smirked at that.

"Because I know who decimated your force at Fort Tsunanka." Oonoki's eyes widened, and his technique flickered out.

"Talk." 

XxX

"So Hanzo has made his move...very well. Then it seems that the Fourth Shinobi World War has unofficially started." Yahiko stated heavily. It was a truth they had all acknowledged, even if it didn't hit them yet. "We must begin preparations. Supplies and rations will need to be stockpiled. We'll create a war council with our allies of the Leaf, and we'll need to look for new allies as well."

"Hidden Sand is our ally. With their help we should have no problems." Shikamaru stated lazily. Konan raised an eyebrow.

"You have a lot of confidence." The Nara shrugged.

"It's just the truth. We've never lost a war before. And the village is in great shape right now. I believe it would take at least three of the Five Great Villages to take us down. Rock may outnumber us...but numbers mean nothing to a Leaf ninja. That means that both the Hidden Mist and Hidden Cloud will have to be pulled into this war if they want a shot. We just have to stop that from happening." Yahiko looked at Shikamaru with great interest.

"Please, elaborate. You seem to have some sort of plan." Naruto and Sasuke grinned. When didn't he?

"Well, our biggest worry is Hidden Mist. We can't fight a war on three fronts, we'd be spread too thin. Hidden Mist has the far less desirable front, seeing as they have an ocean to royally fuck us with. Especially with Wave Country in between as a foothold. First priority is to send someone there and negotiate their aid or neutrality." That earned a few questioning looks.

"Back in the Chuunin Exams, the Mizukage helped the Third against Orochimaru. I think we could work something out with him." Sasuke stated.

"Alright, Itachi and Sasuke will take that one." Yahiko ordered, surprising both brothers. "Wow Itachi, this is the first time I've ever seen your expression change." The older Uchiha rolled his eyes.

"This has been a relaxing few days." Yahiko smiled and then nodded at Shikamaru.

"Please continue."

"Hmm...well Hidden Cloud matches Hidden Rock in strength, so with those two it's a fair fight. As for-"

"I'm sorry, but how can you be so confident that you can take on two ninja villages and call that a fair fight." Konan asked, interrupting Shikamaru. Shikamaru just smirked.

"Well, I'd say we're outnumbered four-to-one by both. Hidden Rock's strength lies in their numbers. While there are some devastatingly powerful ninja from Hidden Rock, they're Jonin are not all on Jonin level, if you get what I mean."

"Because of the large population." Itachi stated, earning a nod from Shikamaru.

"Exactly. With such a large ninja force, in order to appear strong, their Jonin numbers have to be proportionate with the other villages. So of course there are Chuunin-level-Jonin. You see the training methods over there are very outdated thanks to the old guy wearing the hat. It seems stupid but they're just not trained as well. Our spy network confirms it." Nagato's eyebrow rose.

"Spy network? Do you mean Jiraiya's spy network?" Naruto chuckled and scratched his head.

"Actually it's my spy network." That earned him a few surprised stares.

"Really? You have taken over his network?" Itachi asked with great interest.

_'I see. Then I will be needing to speak with you Naruto.'_

"Yea kinda. I mean I've only really scratched the surface. I met with a few of his contacts, and they promised to spread the word. So I'll have to get in contact with each of them as I travel, but with the war..." he shrugged, his message clear. Shikamaru cleared his throat.

"Hidden Cloud is about the size of the Hidden Leaf, and our forces reflect that. In fact we're almost equal on even grounds. But no one's fighting on even grounds here, and that's why we have an advantage. We have no reason to invade Hidden Rock, and we won't need to. They'll make the first strike, and once they're in the great forests of the Land of Fire, we'll do what we do best. Slaughter the enemy. And the rest will follow. No one can fight in those forests like a Leaf ninja can." Shikamaru looked completely confident and relaxed, which helped convince the Akatsuki members even more about his plan.

"Very well. If you're that confident, continue your plan." Yahiko requested.

"Right. Next we need to find more allies. I assume you have a few ideas?" Shikamaru questioned Yahiko.

"We have actually sent a message to Hidden Grass already, but we are waiting for a reply. Hidden Waterfall is another important part to our defense. If we can recruit them as well, then our line of defense will be impenetrable." Shikamaru nodded.

"I agree. Send word to them as well, and we'll await a reply. I'll head back to the Leaf Village and inform Kakashi of everything. Quite frankly this is above a toad's pay grade. If one of you would like to come with me so my superiors don't think we made all of this shit up, it would be much appreciated." Yahiko turned to Konan.

"I leave that to you Konan." The blue haired woman nodded.

"Of course. I'm the only one with manners anyway..." Nagato giggled at that, earning a glare from Konan.

"Very well. Naruto, I suggest you stay here, in case any messages from either Waterfall or Grass come." Shikamaru told the blonde. "Plus you can send any new developments with your toads." Naruto frowned.

"I thought you said this was above a toads pay grade."

"It can't be helped."

"Tell that to Gamakichi. He was tellin me he needed a new pair of shoes..." Shikamaru eyed him warily.

"Are you suggesting I would be those shoes?" Naruto nodded.

"Yep. He could skin you alive and tan your hide with his new weapon." Shikamaru sighed in frustration.

"Whatever. I need to get out of here. You mind if we leave now?" Konan shook her head, and the two were out the door in seconds.

"Dickhead."

"Well, I guess we'll be off as well." Itachi and Sasuke walked out of the room at a normal pace and closed the door behind them, leaving Naruto, Nagato and Yahiko alone to continue with the plans. 

XxX

  
><span>Extra Content: The Orange Flash

"Do you really think you can pull this off?" Sasuke questioned as Naruto wrapped the last orange seal tag around the handle of the kunai that made his father famous.

"Seriously Naruto a week isn't enough." Naruto looked at him blankly.

"It has to be. We need this." He bagged the last kunai and slung the sac over his shoulder. "Let's go." They went to the training ground and Naruto's first act was to create 1000 Shadow Clones. Shikamaru and Sasuke paled.

"He's gonna kill himself..." Each of the clones had a sack of kunai just like the real one, and Sasuke and Shikamaru could only imagine the mayhem...

"Ok here's the deal!" Naruto shouted to his clones, catching their attention. "We have one weak to master this technique. If we don't, then the coming months will be a lot harder. Not to mention how many more will die. So we will learn this technique. The first 500 of you I would like to read the notes my father took when he created his technique. The second 500 of you are going to experiment with the technique and figure it out by experience. Find an appropriate place to practice and begin immediately." 500 of his clones scattered, while the other 500 sat down and pulled out identical scrolls with the mechanics of the Flying Thunder God Technique printed on them. Naruto himself sat down and began to meditate, analyzing the technique as best as he could. Hours passed as clones continuously tried to master the technique and soon day became night, and night became day once more. Sasuke and Shikamaru had stuck around the entire time, occasionally discussing something with Naruto about the technique when he needed it.

Finally, a bright smile crossed Naruto's face. One of his clones had dispelled.

"I got it." He stood up and pulled out a kunai. Excitement danced across his face as he got ready to try out his father's technique. This would be a huge step in his goal to surpass his father.

He flicked the kunai away and held his hand up in the Ram seal, and before a second could pass he was on the other side of the clearing with a brilliant orange flash. The summoning hadn't hurt at all, considering he was used to it from his times going to Mount Myoboku. A grin stretched across his face.

"Easier than I thought. Now I gotta master it." He dispelled his clones, too excited to care about the mind numbing pain that came with dispelling that many clones. But he wasn't worried about becoming a psychopath. If anything he already was one.

"He did it." Shikamaru said in disbelief. "He does it every time." He stood abruptly. "I'm going home. I feel like death." Naruto watched as his teammate left the training ground, probably to sleep the day away. Sasuke sighed and stood.

"I'm leaving too. Good luck." The Uchiha disappeared and Naruto was left to train alone.

"Now to work on the speed." 

XxX

Two days had passed since Naruto first figured the technique out, and by now it was safe to say he was quite proficient with it. He could now zip between targets without hesitation, and his coordination had finally caught up to him. He was proud to say he was a master of his father's technique.

"So you did it in four days. What now?" Shikamaru asked lazily, choosing to ignore the impossible feat.

"I wanna work on the technique and improve it. I have a few ideas...but it'll take a lot of reading. I could have clones do it but...I wanna do this on my own." The world started to spin for a second, and when the vertigo stopped he found himself in Sasuke's grasp. "Right after I sleep that is."

And so he spent the next few days at the library, reading and memorizing the most complicated Fuinjutsu scrolls he could find. The possibilities for the technique were limitless really, and Naruto was anxious to get started with it. 

XxX

**A/N: So that pretty much ends this arc. The next arc is a split arc full of...episodes shall we say. It's really just the missions of everyone before the war.******

**Itachi and Sasuke have a mission together. Hidden Mist may or may not be in the war. Mei did help the Hidden Leaf before, so we'll see. I may throw a twist in.******

**Shikamaru will go back to the Hidden Leaf and politics will happen. So he'll do what he does best.******

**Naruto has a mission soon. In fact, you can finally feel satisfied in knowing that Naruto's live interest will happen. It'll be the main focus of the arc, with occasional snippets to the others. I feel like I'm gonna get shit for this but...well you'll see.******

**Hidden Rock is now on Hanzo's side. Hidden Cloud has yet to be allied with anyone. So we'll see how that works out.******

**So things are getting really exciting now. Tensions rising and shit. It's all gonna break out soon...******

**Anyway if you got something to say good or bad or neutral SAY IT. Hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading. Peace.**


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Jailbait, the Legal Way  
><span>(Title Pending)

"A reply has come from Hidden Grass. They're willing to help, but there's a catch." Naruto rolled his eyes. There was always a catch. "They would like assistance with a high-priority situation, as they called it." Naruto nodded at Yahiko's briefing.

"So you want me to be this aid? Not a problem. But alone though?" Yahiko sighed.

"They asked for a solo ninja. It may sound odd, but I don't believe they will betray you. And if they do, I wholly expect you to slaughter every last one of them and return, brother disciple." Naruto grinned

"Of course. What else would you expect?" Naruto gave a quick salute to Yahiko and exited the room. Itachi was standing against the wall, seemingly waiting for him.

"The frog in the lake see's all." Naruto's eyes widened.

"But the veil can never be broken. Well I'll be damned. You're part of the network?" Itachi grinned slightly.

"Indeed. It will be a pleasure to work with you, Master Naruto." Naruto seemed surprised by the honorific, but took it with a smile. "Good luck on your mission." The stoic Uchiha walked away at that point, and Naruto stood there for a moment before heading the other way. He had an alliance to secure. 

XxX

"Are you the contact from Hidden Rain?" Naruto whirled around at the sound of the voice, completely taken by surprise. He hadn't sensed her approach...

...and speaking of her, holy shit. In the pale moonlight, only half of her face was illuminated, but Naruto was speechless. Her tan skin almost glowed in the lowlight, and the way the moon reflected off of her silver hair was enrapturing. They locked eyes, and Naruto almost lost himself in their cloudy blue haze. She was gorgeous.

"Hidden Leaf actually..."he responded after a moment"...but we're all allies." She nodded, dismissing it as a miniscule detail.

"I'm Ryuuzetsu, ANBU Black Ops Commander of Hidden Grass." Naruto whistled.

"Commander huh? You must be strong then." Naruto said with a grin. She merely turned around.

"You'll have to find out for yourself." He scoffed. "We don't have time to waste. I'll escort you back to the Hidden Grass." He frowned at her professionalism, but followed her nonetheless.

They traveled through the trees under the cover of the night, arriving in the Village Hidden in the Grass by dawn. People were just starting to vacate their homes to open their shops and do their jobs. Ryuuzetsu brought Naruto to a building with a large, green rotunda atop it. They entered through the third floor balcony, directly into a small, organized room.

"This is my office. You can grab some rest on that couch;"she pointed at a couch against the wall," it pulls out into a bed. After you rest, you will be briefed, and then the mission will begin." She explained this quickly, and as soon as she was done she turned her attention to a stack of folders on her desk. "Just pretend I'm not here." Naruto's brow raised at this, but he felt quite tired, so he decided not to question the her, and collapsed onto the couch, not bothering to pull it out. 

XxX

Naruto jolted as he felt something prod at his side.

"You must not be a very good ninja if I could get that close to you." He looked into the stoic, cloudy eyes of Ryuuzetsu and groaned.

"Isn't this supposed to be an extension of alliance?"

"Nothing is ever as it seems. Surely you must know that deceit is a ninja's greatest weapon." Naruto looked down.

"I felt safe around you. I had no reason to distrust you." Her eyes widened, but she scoffed.

"You trust too easily. Get up, the briefing is in five minutes." She walked away and exited the room, leaving him to get himself up. He pushed himself up and sat there for a moment, staring at the door, before sighing and following his new partner. She awaited him patiently on the other side, and started walking as soon as he was out. She led him down a hallway, to two tall wooden double doors, and knocked twice before entering. The room was dimly lit by torches surrounding it, and a large, ornate table sat in the middle. Surrounding the table were three young-looking men, each dressed in full ANBU gear.

"Ah, Uzi, so glad you could join us." One of the men, a red haired one greeted.

"I have brought the ally from the Leaf with me. And use my name please, I don't have my mask on, sir." She stepped aside and resented Naruto, who cleared his throat nervously.

"Uh...hey there." The three men quirked their brows but shrugged his informality off. They were no Kage; they needed no formalities. "I'm Naruto Namikaze."

"Namikaze? Well I'll be damned...pleasure to meet you boy. I'm Gentou," the red haired one stated, "this is Yato and that's Shintojo." He stated, pointing at the blonde and black haired men respectively. "We make up the Hidden Grass Triumvirate, so we are the leaders of this village. As we stated before, an alliance is agreeable, but we need your help first." He gestured to Yato.

"There is a tale of ancient lore in our village about a mystical box with the power to grant any wish. The Box of Extreme Bliss. With it, literally anything could happen." He looked at Shintojo.

"It is said that the Hidden Grass once conquered the world with this box, in the era of the Sage of the Six Paths. But then, one day, the village mysteriously vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a barren wasteland, and The Box of Extreme Bliss." Gentou cleared his throat, gaining back the attention.

"Quite a dangerous object, as you can see. Now, we have received reports that someone is after the box...and they cannot be allowed to take it. The box is hidden underneath Hozukijo, a prison meant for distrusted ninja. You will be sent there, along with Ryuuzetsu, and oust the intruder before anything happens. Any questions?" Naruto looked between the three village leaders and Ryuuzetsu, sighing. As Shikamaru would say, this sounded extremely troublesome, and he was seriously wondering if this had been a good idea. Still, he was here, and backing out would just be absurd. 

XxX

Stone walls loomed forebodingly in the distance as Naruto and Ryuuzetsu were lead by a few Grass ninja to the prison. They were shackled together by thick chains wrapped around each of their extremities, and the guards were being extremely rough with them; Naruto thought they were enjoying it. They were led up the stairs that ascended to the marvelous stone structure, with walls so steep it would take one of the toad summons to destroy it. The massive iron gates rose slowly, almost ominously, as if to taunt them. They were lead into the camp and forced into a lineup of new prisoners. The warden, a man named Mui, gave them a speech meant to strip them of any hope of escape, as well as a burning seal that stopped all chakra flow, called the Tenrou before they were lead to the barracks. Ryuuzetsu and Naruto were thrown into a cell together, and the guard had slipped a key in Ryuuzetsu's pocket. When they were finally alone, Ryuuzetsu, who looked like a young man now with the way her bandanna was tied, started to go over the plan.

"For now, we act like real prisoners. Our first objective is to create a list of possible suspects, and then we'll go from there." After her explanation, she laid down and rested her head on the cold stone surface, not seeming even slightly uncomfortable. "Get some sleep. You'll need it to survive here." Naruto watched his new partner as she drifted into a state of lulled awareness. He could tell she wasn't really asleep, which disappointed him a little. She didn't trust him, but that was fine. He'd show her how trustworthy he was. So he too laid down and succumbed to sleep, not bothering to stay alert. 

XxX

A sharp jab in the side woke Naruto up, and he groaned.

"Can I expect to be woken up like that every day?" Ryuuzetsu 'hmphed'.

"You can expect to be dead if I keep getting that close to you." Naruto rolled his eyes. He needed to break this whole professional act. It was starting to grate his nerves.

"I told you I feel comfortable around you. You give off a gentle aura...I trust you." Her eyes widened for a second before she scoffed and turned around.

"No wonder they call Leaf ninja tree huggers. You're too soft." Before she knew it, she was pinned against the wall of the cell, Naruto's feral face inches from her own.

"I am the farthest thing from soft...and don't insult my village. You have no idea of the things I've done for my village." The sound of guards making their morning rounds echoed through the barracks. Naruto let go of Ryuuzetsu and sat down on the other side of the cell, going into a meditative state. Ryuuzetsu stared at him in shock, recalling the fury that had shown on his face.

'Those fangs...those blood red eyes...and that murderous intent...who is this boy?'

"Hey! Breakfast! Get your asses to the mess hall!" One guard ordered as he unlocked their cell, startling Ryuuzetsu from her thoughts. Naruto stood and walked out silently and Ryuuzetsu followed with a half-contemplative half-worried expression. Things definitely just got more interesting. 

XxX

The mess hall was quite crowded. Some of the men loudly and proudly told stories of their days as ninja, while other ate silently, immersing themselves in thought. Naruto and Ryuuzetsu split up as soon as they walked in to make it look like they were barely acquaintances, which was true, but it kept their hidden agenda under wraps. Naruto walked in line to get food, when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"You're in my spot." He turned around to see a large man with at least a head on him arms the size of tree trunks glaring down at him. He sighed wearily; this was so cliché. Next someone was gonna try and make him their bitch...

"Well now it's mine." Usually Naruto would have answered with a less volatile response, but Ryuuzetsu had pissed him off this morning. His fingers were itching for some action.

"Wrong answer." The man swung his bowling ball sized fist at Naruto, who easily deflected the blow kicked the man in the chest, sending him clear across the hall. It became silent as the guards poured in on Naruto, who simply let them apprehend him. He was dragged out of the mess hall, and after a few moments normalcy resumed.

Ryuuzetsu was baffled that Naruto would do something so stupid, and she hoped he wouldn't compromise the mission. In the back of her head she knew he wouldn't, but she couldn't help but feel a little worried.

As soon as breakfast was over, she sped out of the mess hall and back to her cell, where Naruto was meditating, scorch marks all over his body. She entered the cell, causing him to open one eye.

"Welcome back. How was your breakfast?" She eyed him skeptically. Where was all that anger?

"Fine. Are you...okay?" She asked hesitantly, gesturing at the burn marks. "What happened?" He shrugged.

"They only burn a little. They'll be gone by tomorrow. As for what happened, either that guy Mui really likes me or really hates me." Her eyes widened. That would be impossible with burns as bad as that. He'd need a Bloodline Limit or something akin to one to heal that quickly.

"Bloodline?" She asked curiously, earning a head shake.

"Not quite. Jinchuriki." That broke her stoic exterior. She had been working with a Tailed Beast container this whole time. That would explain the eyes and fangs then. And it wasn't hard for her to figure out which one it was.

"To think you'd be the container of the Nine-Tails..." He chuckled.

"Yea, don't worry though. I don't bite." She hid her slight grin with a cough.

"Right. Well, we have more work to do. Go 'socialize' and see what kind of info you can't dig up. I'll do the same." Naruto nodded and exited without another word. Ryuuzetsu watched him go and her fist clenched tightly.

"Mui you bastard..." 

XxX

Naruto idly walked around the courtyard, observing the various activities the prisoners were participating in. Some were having Taijutsu spars, a few of the older prisoners had card tables out, a few even had notebooks with pages of writing material in them. It wasn't quite what Naruto expected out of a prison, but he couldn't complain. Then again, all of the ruthless missing ninja were too good to be thrown in a place like this. Only a few bad eggs, like the guy whose ribs were now shattered thanks to Naruto, populated the place. Everyone else had just...accepted it.

"You look lost. Can I help you?" Naruto turned his head to see a young guy with a jovial smile on his face. "You're the new guy aren't you. Names Maroi." He held his hand out. "Lots of gossip spreadin around, and you seem to be at the center of it my friend." Naruto chuckled and scratched his head.

"Yea well I wasn't in the best mood yesterday, and that guy was asking for it." Maroi chuckled heartily.

"Yea well now you're like a legend around here you know? No one ever starts trouble here." Naruto squinted and nodded.

"I noticed that. Everyone just seems to have...accepted their fate. It's kinda pitiful." Maroi sighed.

"Yea, that's how it's always been, least since I got here. No one has ever escaped; Mui is simply too good. I heard that a long time ago, when he took over, there were a lot of riots, but he silenced them completely. Since then, he's got an iron grip on this place." Maroi shrugged. "It's a little pathetic, but they don't have a choice." Naruto smirked and shook his head.

"They always have a choice. I think I might have to show them that." Maroi's eyebrow raised.

"What do you mean?" Naruto stretched his neck and cracked his fingers.

"This Mui guy rubs me the wrong way. I think I need to take him down a notch." He answered cockily. Maroi looked at him skeptically.

"Dunno how you plan to do that. That Tenrou will burn your body faster than a furnace."

"A little fire never stopped me before." With that he was gone, his cloak billowing out wide, for the Toad Summoning scroll was absent from his back. Maroi watched him intently as he left, wondering if he was stupid...or something else was going on. 

XxX

Ripples of clear blue water rose across the surface of the ocean as Itachi and Sasuke dashed across it. The islands of the Land of Water were clearly visible now to the brothers, and it was a reliving sight to see. A few days running on the ocean would tire even Naruto, so it would be nice to get their land legs again.

Sasuke had suggested that they enter the city immediately, but Itachi ruled against him, instead choosing to camp on one of the tiny islets around the main island for the night. They still had to come up with a plan after all, and they were quite exhausted, even if neither would admit it.

"What kind of plan do we need? Can't we just go talk to the Mizukage as foreign dignitaries?" Itachi shook his head.

"That could work if you didn't mind your enemies finding out about it." Sasuke rolled eyes but nodded. "Also, I cannot just talk to anyone. With Itachi Uchiha, it's kill first talk later." That was also very true. Sasuke doubted that the Mizukage would be thrilled to see arguably the most dangerous missing ninja to come from the Leaf Village, who was exiled for killing his entire family.

"It would make even less sense if you were seen with me."

"Or we could both be branded traitors." Sasuke's eyes widened. That was in the realm of possibility after all...

"Right. So I do the talking. What are you going to do?" Itachi looked towards the Hidden Village, which could be seen from the islet.

"Information gathering. Who knows if Hanzo has already been here? Naruto would love a full report from his contacts wouldn't he?" Sasuke's brow shot up.

"How could you know Naruto's contacts?"

"I'm one of them." Sasuke's choked on his own spit.

"How is that possible?" He asked after his fit subsided.

"Well, even though Jiraiya was dead when I was exiled, the network was still around. The Third had ways of contacting various contacts, and I turned into one of them. A secondary objective of my final mission if you will." Sasuke nodded at his brother's explanation.

"I see. So you never met Jiraiya?" Itachi shook his head in disagreement.

"No, I met him once. I was very young, but I was a Chuunin by then. It was during the time I was being scouted for ANBU. He gave me great advice that has stuck with me ever since. If there was one man that I wish I could have fought, it would be him."

"What was his advice?" Itachi smirked and chuckled.

"He said 'You know the best thing about breasts Itachi? There are two of em! When one gets all old and saggy, you'll always have another to play with.' Of course as a young boy I just thought he was an idiot, but now I can see the true meaning in his message." Sasuke laughed loudly.

"I don't mean to burst your bubble Itachi, but I think he may have been serious." Itachi shook his head.

"I'm sure he was, after all everyone has heard of Jiraiya's famous description of Tsunade's…assets. But he would have no reason to tell that to a nine year old. It was back when father started to really push me, and I started to have less and less of a choice in what I wanted to do. I think his message was to always find the silver lining. And in the end, that's what saved me." Sasuke cocked his head.

"Saved you?" Itachi smiled at him warmly, causing Sasuke to be taken aback.

"It taught me to look past the bad things. Our family may have died by my hand, but the village is safe, and you are alive. For that, I would gladly pay any price." Sasuke looked at the ground quickly, hoping that his brother wouldn't see the lone tear that had slid down his cheek.

"Itachi..." The older Uchiha turned away then and walked into the tent they had set up, saving his brother the embarrassment of being seen crying.

"Get some rest. We depart at dawn." 

XxX

Extra Content: A Training Session with the Hokage

"C'mon boys, I know you're better than this!" Kakashi shouted with a hidden grin.

"Will someone shut him up!" Naruto shouted as we weaved through the ninjatos of two ANBU. Today Team 7 found themselves on the ANBU training grounds, thanks to Kakashi. They had been 'invited' to the ANBU training session, which had turned out to be a war game. A very one sided war game, with Naruto, Sasuke and Shikamaru against a few of the best ANBU teams under Kakashi's command. And so for the past hour or two they had been literally fighting for their lives while listening to Kakashi's incessant taunting.

"You shut him up! We're busy!" Sasuke shouted back as he and Shikamaru were attempting to hold off at least two teams of ANBU. Scorch marks decorated the ground from the constant Fire Style Techniques Sasuke was shooting off like fireworks. It was all he could do to put distance between him and the ANBU. Shikamaru had meanwhile melted into his shadow and was harassing the ANBU at close range. His control of the shadows had only advanced over the years, and now he was able to create all-black doppelgangers that wielded various types of weapons. Not only that, but every shadow was an extension of himself, so the masked ninja were surprised to see giant shadow swords weaving around the battlefield. It was an eerie sight to say in the least.

"Fine! But I need a little time!" And he knew just how to get it. "Shadow Clone Technique!" A few hundred clones appeared and engaged the ANBU operatives, while Naruto escaped to a temporarily safe place. He immediately sat down and began to channel Nature Chakra, needing as much as he could very quickly. He could feel his clones dispel one by one, but he stayed calm and focused, until the last one dispelled, and his eyes flashed open, showing the Mark of the Sage. He sped back to the battlefield in time to block a massive combination attack from the ANBU with a powerful Earth Style barrier. The lava hot rockslide crashed into the barrier, and both of the blonde's teammates sighed in relief.

"Finally...I'm out of chakra." Sasuke panted, sporting multiple slashes and bruises on his body. Shikamaru was hardly in a better condition.

"I got it from here. I know Shikamaru is dying to go watch the clouds." He felt his two teammates disappear and he lowered the Earth Style barricade. Kakashi stood at the head of his ANBU, twelve Naruto counted total.

"Ah the Honored Sage Mode. I've always wondered how powerful it really is." Kakashi taunted, his hands crackling with electricity. "Don't disappoint me." Two Rasengans swirled to life in Naruto's palms, and he dashed at Kakashi, kicking up a trail of dirt behind him.

"Rasengan Barrage!" The two Rasengans clashed with the two Raikiri and bolts of lightning shot in every direction. The ANBU had to jump back to avoid the destructive arcs of lightning that tore through the ground. Three beams of wood shot up around Naruto and aimed to crush him, but the blonde flickered away in time. Kakashi jumped away as Naruto fell upon him, the blonde's fist creating a crater where the Hokage had stood. A couple ANBU rose up from the ground around Naruto and flew through hand seals.

"Earth Style: Earth Trap Smash!" Two square blocks of earth rose from the ground and shot towards each other, splattering Naruto in between them. To the ANBU's dismay, the two blocks of earth fell to pieces, easily cut up by a wind chakra charged kunai. The blond quickly flew through a string of hand signs and jumped into the air.

"Sage Art: Pressure Crush!" Some of the ANBU struggled to breathe as the pressure in the area around Naruto increased dramatically, and they were knocked unconscious before Naruto released the technique. He then charged at Kakashi, gathering another Rasengan in his hand, except this one was gigantic. "Sage Art: Massive Rasengan!" The rest of the ANBU team only barely erected a barrier in front of their leader, a solid combination of wood and earthen walls. Naruto slowly chipped away at the barricade until it shattered apart, the ANBU unable to hold it any longer. Kakashi had already escaped however, and Naruto barely avoided the hand that shot out of the ground at his ankles. "That's not gonna work Sensei. I can sense you." Kakashi popped out of the ground and grunted.

"I figured you wouldn't fall for it...you're not a cute little Genin anymore. But let's see if you can handle this. Lion!" The ANBU with the Lion masked appeared next to Kakashi and they both flashed through hand seals. Kakashi's signature technique crackled to life in his hand and he dashed forward, while the other man unleashed three Water Style: Water Dragon Missiles. Kakashi jumped into the air and behind him the water dragons twisted together like a hydra before diving down and engulfing Kakashi. Lightning crackled across the water dragon's skin and he turned into a streak of lightning.

Naruto knew he didn't have any defensive techniques nearly strong enough to defend him from that. So he decided to hit it with an equally destructive attack.

"Wind Style: Rasenshuriken!" He jumped up at Kakashi and thrust the screeching attack at him, and a brilliant explosion occurred. The ANBU watched as sparks of electricity of all colors exploded outwards, sending two bodies flying in opposite directions. The ANBU raced over to the Hokage, while Sasuke and Shikamaru ran to Naruto.

"I think you went overboard...again..." Shikamaru said with a weary sigh.

"Me! Did you see what he threw at me?" Naruto half-shouted in defense. "Dammit, just get the medic over here. I definitely broke my arm.". The medic appeared as if out of thin air, and Naruto blinked. "That was fast."

"Standard procedure. Lord Hokage also ordered me to check on you first." Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Cocky bastard..." 

XxX

"So you two created that combination back in ANBU together?" Naruto asked Kakashi and Genma as they sat around a fire.

"Yea, we were a fearsome duo if I do say so myself." Genma stated with a smirk, which could be seen now that his Lion mask was removed. "But I stayed under the radar. Everyone and their sister knew Kakashi the Copy Ninja, but that's probably because he fucked everyone's sister." The brown haired man said as he ribbed Kakashi.

"That's not true. I had a few moms too." Naruto cackled as Genma passed him a joint. Apparently everyone in ANBU indulged in the pleasure daily, because it was a great way to stay grounded with jobs like theirs. The dirtiest jobs were like D-Ranks to them after all.

"Are you sure you're not related to Jiraiya?" Naruto asked after his fit of laughter.

"That would have been an honor, but alas, the Great Jiraiya has no heirs of his own." An inquisitive look appeared on the Hokage's masked face. "Actually, I think he's the reason I'm a pervert."

"How do you figure that?" Genma asked, taking the senbon out of his mouth to hit the joint, only to replace it right after.

"His books are works of art." He explained fondly.

"I miss him." Naruto stated. Kakashi smiled.

"You're a lot like him. More so than your father." Naruto's brow rose.

"Really?"

"Yes. Sensei was always extremely kind and gentle, but he had a switch. If you flicked that switch, well no one survived long enough to see. On the other hand, Jiraiya is carefree and playful, and always in a similar mood. He's no different in a fight or on the street. Not to say he doesn't take it seriously, but you know what I mean." Kakashi explained.

"I do. He was always in control of himself, but he gave the appearance of a fool. Had you ever seen him do the Kabuki poses?" Naruto asked, causing Kakashi to smile.

"In his defense, those are fucking hilarious." Naruto conceded that easily; that had always made him laugh as a child.

"That they were. That they were." 

XxX

**A/N: Whew, jesus this felt like it took forever.******

**Ok so Ryuuzetsu is Naruto's live interest. If you hate it, suck my dick! If you love it, I love you! And if you're meh about it, well I can understand that because half of you probably don't know who Ryuuzetsu is. And that's okay. So I ask that you Google her, because she is from the Narutoverse, but a movie, not the anime or manga. I personally thought that movie was pretty damn good, and I actually got a suggestion for this in like chapter six. So shoutsout to that random reviewer who gave me the idea!******

**Anyway on a more serious note I really do like this relationship. If you've seen the movie (Naruto Shippuden Movie 5 Blood Prison) then you can guess how this ends. If you haven't DONT FREAKING WATCH because mines better. No seriously don't watch because mine is completely different and they won't make sense together. Just Google Ryuuzetsu. Ryuuzetsu. Got it?******

**Itachi and Sasuke are in Hidden Mist. Sasuke will be the diplomat and Itachi the street rat. Anything can happen at this point, so I hope I'm keeping you on the edge of your seat(s).******

**The EC was fun training followed by guys shootin' the shit after a long day at the office. I liked the fight, it was good, and I didn't make a winner on purpose. Naruto isn't on Kage level yet, he just has Sage Mode, which helps a shit ton. I threw the Rasenshuriken in there because it's not new and all of you know what it is already. Don't worry, you'll see another elemental Rasengan at some point, and it shouldn't be too hard to figure out what it will be.******

**Anyway I hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading. Peace.**


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Scars

The Leaf Village was a grand sight to see for Shikamaru. He had been a little home sick, or rather he missed the clouds. He couldn't watch them in Hidden Rain...

Konan cleared her throat.

"How will you get me into your village?" She asked bluntly. He shrugged.

"I'm a Jonin...and the Hokage's student. No one's going to deny my guest entry." She looked at him strangely.

"Your security is so lax." Shikamaru smirked.

"But our response is ruthless. You're in an organization with knowledge about most of the ninja world, you heard about the Sound Invasion. And the civil war that ended with Danzo's life. You're welcome by the way." Her eyes widened at that. Danzo had aided Hanzo back when they were ambushed...

"I see. Thank you." He nodded.

"Sure thing. Now, to the Hokage's office." 

XxX

Ryuuzetsu could not believe the sight she saw when she walked into the courtyard. Naruto was on one knee, the Tenrou seal burning him harshly as he tried to fight it. Mui stood in front of him with a blank expression on his face.

"Would you like a repeat session of last night? I have many more tricks boy..." Mui said threateningly. Naruto just grinned.

"Anything you do to me, I can throw back at you tenfold. Give me your worst you fucker!" Mui's face contorted angrily at Naruto's taunt and he lunged at the blonde.

"Fire Style: Searing Execution!" His fingertips lit if with fire and he slashed them at Naruto, only for Naruto to catch his arm before he could hit him.

"Too slow. My turn." Naruto tightened his grip and grabbed Mui's arm and flipped him over his head, sending him flying. As soon as he let go, the seal started to burn more, and he collapsed onto his hands and knees. "Shit...I can't keep this up." He grunted and pushed himself up as Mui appeared behind him and kicked him back down.

"How's your schedule for the week? I think you and I will be seeing each other for a while, if that's alright with you of course." Mui asked sarcastically, his composure regained.

"Can't wait warden. I think we'll be real good friends." Mui laughed at that and released the Tenrou.

"You are entertaining my friend, and so I will give you respite. Go sleep, for you won't be getting any tonight. I wan't you to be fully aware of yourself for this."

"How considerate. Then get the hell out of here." Mui laughed again as he walked away, not sparing a second glance at the boy. Ryuuzetsu ran over to him and kneeled down next to him.

"What the hell are you doing! You're going to get yourself killed! What…" She sighed and regained her composure. "Sorry. Cell." She stood and left, leaving Naruto to rest and collect his thoughts. He thought it was cute that she let her exterior crack, and her emotional side peeked through.

He entered the cell and saw her standing against the wall. She was looking at the wall beside him, so he walked over next to her.

"You were saying?" He asked hesitantly. She turned and faced him.

"I've just never seen someone with so much disregard for his own life. Why were you doing that?" She asked with a curious look on her face. He sighed.

"Look at this place. It's dead. It's pathetic. These all used to be shinobi, but now they're has beens." She stared at him incredulously.

"That...that has nothing to do with the mission!" He shrugged.

"It will help us, trust me. Plus I already have a plan. And it involves me getting close to Mui. I can take the punishment. Listen, at night, I need you to escape the cell and look for any prisoners missing from their cells. Someone who wasn't Mui kidnapped me last night." Her eyes widened, but she nodded.

"Do you have any ideas who?" He shook his head.

"No, but I'll figure it out. I just need to make a few clones. They'll have to transform into something...I'll deal with that later." He sighed. "This seal is a bitch." She stared at him with a faint smirk

"You do realize that Mui is going to do so much worse right?" He shrugged.

"I know. And it's gonna hurt a lot too. But it's for the mission. I'm sure if I goad him enough I can get him to tell me what's going on. Any pieces of information are helpful." She shook her head.

"He's more disciplined than that." Ryuuzetsu rebutted. "He won't sell out." Naruto's eyebrow rose.

"He already has sold out. He's working with a planted agent to obtain The Box of Extreme Bliss. Who else would the other guy be? Mui has no use for a bitch boy in this pathetic place. He's already got all of them." She shook her head.

"Your logic...is so flawed...but you're right. It's the only explanation. Very well, then we'll both do our jobs. Just...don't die." He smirked.

"I can't die yet, I have way too much to accomplish before that." His cockiness was bold, but she believed him. After all, he'd impressed her so far. 

XxX

Shikamaru realized he had been in the council chambers far too frequently recently. And this time he had a notorious missing ninja/village leader with him, and he knew that everyone was staring at him like an asshole. The only thought going through their minds was 'Why isn't the one with the Rinnegan here?' He was regretting not going to Hidden Mist now.

"So you are one of the leaders of Hidden Rain?" Shikaku asked as the meeting got underway. Konan nodded.

"Yes, my name is Konan. It's a pleasure to meet you." Her respect was not unnoticed, and Shikamaru was wondering where that had come from.

"And you as well." Kakashi responded. "It is nice to see that Naruto is not full of shit." Shikamaru shot a pointed look at Konan, who suppressed a smirk. "So, please, would you explain exactly why you and Hanzo are going to war?" She nodded.

"Yes. Many years ago, when Akatsuki was still relatively small, Hanzo approached us with the prospect of alliance. We had started to make a name for ourselves as the result of a few battles, and he said he could use a band of good men." She rolled her eyes. "We agreed to meet at another place to finalize the details, but we didn't trust him. So we had the entire Akatsuki back us up in case of an ambush. And that's what happened. We lost many men that day, but we won in the end, and Hanzo was forced into hiding. After that, we assumed leadership of Hidden Rain. It hasn't been until recently that we've had any contact with Hanzo, but he's back. And he's ready for war." Kakashi nodded at the explanation.

"Then you have our support. But then we need to act now. Shall the Leaf Village be the Base of Operations? Strategically, it has the best position for what we could possibly encounter." Konan nodded.

"Yes, that will do fine. However, my team and I will be on the frontlines. Of course we'll have a representative here, but our place is with our soldiers." Kakashi nodded admirably.

"I can see that you are good leaders. I will have to get things running on my end, but I can assure you I'll see you out there." Konan grinned.

"I look forward to it." Kakashi clapped his hands together and smiled.

"Well, then we're done here. Send for the Kazekage's children. I will need to tell them the news. And after one round trip to Hidden Sand for them, the Kazekage will be caught up on the situation. I just hope that we can get Mist on our side. It would be decided then." Konan shook her head.

"Do not underestimate Hanzo. Who knows what kind of tricks he's learned over the years?" Kakashi sighed.

"You're right. Very well, you are all dismissed. ANBU, get me the Kazekage's children." 

XxX

The room was dark except for the flickering fire light in the middle. The sound of a whip cracking echoed as the boy taking the punishment tried to stay silent. Mui was lashing Naruto's back with a fire whip, and his back was entirely scorched black.

"Where did those burns I gave you last night go?" Mui asked as he slowly circled around front of Naruto, who was chained from the ceiling. The blonde chuckled weakly.

"Those pussy ass burns?" He croaked with a grin. "Those are nothin for me." Mui's eyes flashed with anger and he suddenly whipped Naruto across the chest, eliciting the cry of pain he had been waiting for.

"Let's see how you deal with these then. And if you heal them, well, torture won't be the only thing we're doing down here."

"You gonna make me your bitch?" He croaked, giggling deliriously as he did. Mui rolled his eyes.

"Not quite. I'll harness whatever power you have and kill you with it." Naruto kept his face calm, but inside he was alarmed. He was suspicious of him...not good.

"Try me dickhead." Mui turned to the shadows with a sigh.

"Take him back. He's getting on my nerves." Naruto was joyful to hear he was going back, but he was in oh so much pain right now. That last one across the chest had really fucking hurt!

He felt Mui's partner pick him up and start to carry him back. He always wore a black ski mask over his face, so Naruto could never tell who he was. But tonight he would find out. The clone back at the cell dispersed at that instant, and power surged through his body, but he immediately contained and suppressed it. Now, he would be able to memorize his captors exact chakra signature and pick it out even in a crowd.

The man dumped him back in his cell, and as soon as the sound of his footsteps disappeared, Ryuuzetsu rushed over to Naruto.

"How bad is it?" Oh she knew it was bad. She knew because she had smelled the burnt flesh from the other side of the room. And it was strong. Naruto simply turned over and she gasped at the sight of his charred back. There were cuts and slashes everywhere. He would die if someone didn't heal him. She immediately started using the Healing Palm technique, and green chakra coated her palms as she soothed the pain in his back. "You are so lucky I know Medical Ninjutsu." She felt her Tenrou flare, but she ignored it. She winced slightly, and Naruto tried to roll over.

"You shouldn't-" She grabbed his back and yanked him back, causing a burning surge of pain to shoot through his body. He was able to stay silent for the most part, but a tiny whimper escaped at the end.

"Don't do that. I could have killed you if I hadn't reacted in time. And I can take the pain." This was much more important. And this technique barely used any chakra, so the pain wasn't so great.

After about an hour of healing, with a few breaks at Naruto's behest, Naruto's back was much better than before, and he told her the Nine-Tails would handle the rest. She stopped and stared at him, concern and worry etched on her face.

"Is it really worth it? Do you really need to put yourself in this much pain?" He chuckled weakly.

"Right now? No...but I'm not dead right? So everything is okay. And I got the chakra signature of Mui's partner, thanks to that Shadow Clone I left with you." She shook her head.

"That's not what I mean. Why are you even doing this? This pain is unneccessary." She said softly.

"I'm a Jinchuriki. I am the Power of the Sacrifice, and I never lose sight of who I am." Ryuuzetsu's eyes widened, and he looked down. "I know during this war I'll be used as a weapon. I'll be killing hundreds...but for the village I'll become a weapon, because I just want to protect my village and let them live peacefully." Ryuuzetsu was staring at him in pure awe, and a tear rolled down her cheek. His eyes widened and he slowly pushed himself up. "Why are you-"She turned her head away and wiped the tear away.

"It's nothing." He was now sitting, and she looked at him out of the corner of his eye. He looked concerned.

"Uh...that was the most emotion I've seen you display. What is it?" She sighed and looked down.

"It's just...you sounded a lot like my childhood friend Muku." He cocked his head.

"Do you not keep in touch anymore?"

"He's dead." Naruto's eyes widened.

"I'm sorry." She smiled.

"Before he died, he said the same thing. That he would never lose sight of himself. And then..." Naruto shook his head.

"It's okay."

"No it's not. It was that bastard Mui. He did it to his own son!" Naruto's eyes widened and anger flowed through him.

"His own son...we'll kill him. Soon. I have a plan, but we'll need a few days. Did you see anyone missing from their cell?" She nodded.

"Yea, one guy. Maroi I think." Naruto's brow rose before he chuckled.

"No kidding? Cheeky bastard..." She looked at him oddly. "I have a plan, but I'm too tired to tell it to you." She deadpanned.

"Seriously?"

"Yea seriously. Mui loves to party. With fire." She winced.

"Sorry." He chuckled.

"I'm kidding. But seriously I'm going to bed. I'm about to pass out." He lied on his side and shivered, his shirtless torso touching cold rock. He was extremely surprised when he felt slender arms wrap around him and Ryuuzetsu pressed herself against his back. He turned his head around and looked at her.

"What...?" She looked down.

"You looked cold...and uncomfortable. You said you trust me right?" He chuckled and closed his eyes.

"Yea. I do." He couldn't help but feel a little grateful. This was nice, just a beautiful girl and some peace and quiet. Maybe when they got out of here... 

XxX

Sasuke was sure that one of the Mist ninja eyeing him up was going to attack him any second now. Foreign ninja were always a suspicious sight, and the fact that his headband was on display for all to see didn't help. He decided to approach the closest Jonin to end the suspicion.

"Excuse me, but I'd like an audience with your Kage." He said politely, earning a cold look.

"Why should I grant you that outsider?" Sasuke held back his frustration, that wouldn't help him at the moment.

"I am no threat. I come with proposition of alliance. Please let me talk to your Kage." The Jonin's eyebrow rose. As a seasoned veteran, he knew that an alliance meant one thing...

"Very well. Follow me." The Jonin led Sasuke through the village and to the Mizukage's office quickly, and before he knew it he was standing in front of Yagura.

"You…I recognize you. You're the teammate of the boy who holds the Nine-Tails." Sasuke was a little surprised to hear that the Mizukage knew him.

"Yes, Naruto is my teammate." Yagura nodded.

"Then welcome to the Hidden Mist. I could never refuse the friend of a Jinchuriki." He stated genuinely. "What do I owe the pleasure?" Sasuke was surprised by and satisfied with the fact that this was going so well.

"Well, I do not want to waste your time, so I will get to the point. The Fourth Shinobi World War is coming, and we would like to negotiate with you." Yagura was taken aback by the bold declaration.

"I…see. If I may ask, how do you know this?"

"I was on a mission in Rain Country when we came across the leaders of the Hidden Rain. By some odd coincidence, they had been trained by Naruto's Uncle, and so they took us to their village. There, they told us that Hanzo the Salamander is alive and he plans on starting a rebellion. As of now, we are allies with them, but Hidden Rock has joined Hanzo. I've come to you in hopes that you will aid us, or at least stay neutral in this conflict." Yagura eyed the Uchiha in contemplation for a few moments before nodding.

"I see. Well, as you might suspect, I am not too keen on bringing my nation into a war that doesn't involve us." Sasuke's expression dropped. "However, I would rather see the Leaf come out on top than anyone else. So here is what I will do: officially, the Hidden Mist shall be neutral. But, who's to say we can't cut you a discount on supplies, or send over some foreign exchange ninja." Sasuke grinned.

"Thank you Lord Mizukage. Your assistance is greatly appreciated." Yagura smiled back.

"Of course. But next time we meet, do send Naruto. I would like to have a chance to speak with him." Sasuke nodded, and then his eyebrow quirked.

"May I ask you a question?" Yagura nodded and extended his hands in affirmation. "Why are you so interested in Naruto?"

"Well, he is a fellow Jinchuriki. I have only met one other Jinchuriki, but he is a quiet, boring man. He does not speak much." Yagura looked out of the window on the side of the room. "Everyone handles their problems differently; Jinchuriki are no different. Some become twisted, insane murderers while others become great heroes. Naruto seems like a hero." Sasuke chuckled at that.

"He's more than a hero." Yagura nodded.

"Good. Then I cannot wait to meet him. Until then, I wish you fortune and health, and I await to hear from you again. Travel safely. 

XxX

Naruto stood in the center of the prison courtyard and looked around, spotting Maroi talking to a bald man with a goatee. Maroi was laughing and joking as always, but the other man had a serious expression on his face. Ryuuzetsu stood next to him, waiting for him to confirm their suspicions. He felt his clone dispel, and once again he entered Sage Mode, immediately recognizing Maroi's chakra signature.

"It's him. No doubt about it."

"What do we do then?" Ryuuzetsu asked. Naruto bent down to whisper in her ear.

"It will take a few days, buy I need a few clones to channel nature chakra for me. The Tenrou doesn't affect me when I use Nature Chakra. I'll start a fight with Mui, and unless his partner steps in I'll kill him. And then I'll kill them both." Ryuuzetsu shook her head.

"That is so...reckless."

"But it always works." He replied with a grin. "Just trust me. Okay?" She nodded slowly.

"Okay, I will." He grabbed her wrist and started to pull her away back to the barracks.

"C'mon, I have to find a place my Shadow Clones can meditate safely." Ryuuzetsu let herself be dragged, a tiny smile bubbling up to the surface. 

XxX

"War you say? Then I will be needed on the front lines." Gaara said monotonously. Kakashi nodded.

"Yes your aid would be a considerable boon. But first you must talk to the Kazekage." Temari stepped forward and nodded.

"We'll deliver the news. But Lord Sasori will be behind you one hundred percent. He's committed to this alliance." She explained firmly.

"Very well. Then your trip should be short. Since the Hidden Leaf will be the Base of Operations, he can either come here or appoint someone else to command his forces strategically." The Hokage stated. "You are dismissed. Leave by nightfall." The three Sand siblings nodded and exited the office to prepare for their trip home. 

XxX

Sasuke waited as the crunch of soft footsteps padded up the trail behind him. He recognized them immediately.

"Anything good?" The younger Uchiha asked. Itachi shook his head.

"We have much traveling to do. We shall speak on the way." Sasuke nodded, and then they disappeared without a trace, racing towards Hidden Rain. 

XxX

Extra Content: Stillness of the Sage

The peaks of the mountains at Mount Myoboku were perfect for training to be a sage. Balancing on the tip was no easy feat, and one had to be be completely still in order to do so. Naruto had progressed far in his training, but at the moment he was stuck simply because he could not force himself to be completely still. And every minute or so he would lose his focus, which caused him to fall constantly and almost get impaled by a peak before Fukasaku saved him.

"You are so close Naruto, and yet you fail every time." Fukasaku scolded. "You must let go of your body and feel your mind. Forget the outside world."

"I'm trying. I just can't stay that way." Fukasaku sighed.

"You must or else this training will be for naught. We've been at this for a week now. Was I wrong in thinking you had more potential than Jiraiya?" Naruto knew he was baiting him, but he bit anyway.

"No, I'll get it." Naruto assumed a meditative position on the slab of stone once again. Fukasaku admired him secretly.

'He's very focused. It won't be long now...' And so it wouldn't be. Three hours or so later, and Naruto was balancing himself on the slab just as he had promised.

"Very good Naruto. Your drive is what helps you succeed. It is most impressive." The old toad smiled. "Now it is time for you to enter Sage Mode." Naruto opened his eyes and nodded. He jumped off of the stone slab without disturbing it, making Fukasaku raise an eyebrow. The old sage followed him to the ground and landed on the boy's shoulder. "This is where the real training starts. You will have to break through any barriers you've come across before in your training, but on the other side you shall find a power that will give you the strength to accomplish all of your goals." Naruto nodded seriously.

"I'm ready." Fukasaku's eyes narrowed and he grinned.

"Then we'll start right away." 

XxX

"All of this Nature Energy you have been feeling is only the tip of the iceberg. When you go into Sage Mode, you can convert Nature Energy into Sage Chakra, which gives you the ability to create powerful technique. For example, take your technique the Rasengan. How big can you make yours?" Naruto held out a palm sized Rasengan. "That's it? I've seen Jiraiya create ones almost as big as Gamabunta with Sage Chakra." Naruto's eyes bulged.

"As big as Gamabunta? That's insane!" Fukasaku chuckled.

"Such is the power of the Sage." The toad cleared his throat. "Now, I want you to start to meditate." Naruto nodded and sat in a relaxing position. "Good. Let the Nature Energy flow through you; become a sort of beacon in the darkness for it. A sanctuary. Let your mind attain peace, let your body attain tranquility, and let your chakra mold the Nature Energy, and make it one with yourself." Naruto listened intently as he gathered the potent energy. He could literally feel the chakra flowing through each and every one of his chakra pathways as he deepened his focus. It felt incredible. His body was bristling with power now, and the world exploded into view around him, even though his eyes were shut tight.

"I can see everything...by god its breathtaking." Naruto breathed out, causing Fukasaku to smile.

"Yes it is a great power indeed. And it will only grow stronger as you master it." Fukasaku sat next to Naruto and assumed a meditative position like his pupil. "Today is the last easy day. For the rest of the day you will memorize this feeling so that it will never be a problem to call upon it. Immerse yourself in it, make it instinct alone." The rest of the day was the picture perfect example of serenity for Naruto, the feeling of the Nature Chakra filling him with relaxation. He let his thoughts wander throughout the day, as he was totally at peace, and all of his focus was in his mind. He was able to think clearly and really delve into his thoughts, and so reflection was the word of the day. And although he was young, Naruto was proud of himself, and he had no regrets to this point.

When night rolled around Fukasaku nudged Naruto out of his trance.

"How do you feel boy?" Naruto smiled.

"Great. I feel like I just slept for a week too." He commented, stretching his arms. Fukasaku jumped up and away from Naruto, crouching into a battle stance.

"Then you'll have no problem putting up a fight. It's time to train your body now." Naruto grinned.

"Alright, but I won't hold back." Deep yellow eyes, not unlike that of a toad, stared into Fukasaku's own eyes. The old sage chuckled.

"Of course. I'd kill you if you did." And then he was gone. Naruto threw up his arms to block a powerful kick from his left, and shockwaves rolled through the earth from the force of the impact. Fukasaku fell down and jumped up again as he threw a punch at Naruto's face, who dodged it just in time. Or so he thought, until he was skidding across the ground like a rock on a lake. When he finally came to a stop he groaned painfully, and Fukasaku landed beside him.

"The first technique I'll be teaching you is called Frog Kumite, and it is the Taijutsu style of the Toad Sage. As you can see, merely dodging it is not an option." Naruto nodded as he finally stopped seeing stars.

"No kidding..." Fukasaku smirked.

"The secret to Frog Kumite is the control of your Sage Chakra to strengthen your physical prowess. In order to get extreme power behind your blows, you must charge your chakra until the point of impact, and then release it at the point of impact all at once. It's the same with blocking, which might I add, is the only way to effectively stop a Frog Kumite strike without disengaging. You must release your chakra at the point of impact to nullify the incoming blow." The old toad explained. "Try practicing on the ground with aerial attacks, and once you get it down, we will spar again." Naruto cocked his head.

"Why have me start off with such a complicated maneuver?" He asked curiously.

"I'm glad you ask. For the same reason I started your training at night. By learning how to do something in unfavorable conditions, it will be second nature in favorable ones." Fukasaku explained wisely. "It is how I was taught, it is how I taught Jiraiya, and now it is how I will teach you as well. There are many things about Sage Mode that you don't know yet, buy you will have to master each aspect. The control of Sage Chakra is just one." Naruto stood up and nodded.

"I understand. I'll just have to work harder." He shrugged and grinned. "Nothing I can't handle." 

XxX

A/N: That felt like it took entirely too long.

So Shikamaru and Konan's part is done pretty quick. They didn't have much really. Segway into Leaf/Sand relations next chapter.

Sasuke is done too, and he secured the 'alliance'. Mist won't really play that important of a role, but they'll be there. So the main story won't advance until everyone meets back up in Rain.

Naruto and Ryuuzetsu have a connection forming. Next chapter I'm finishing the Ryuuzetsu Arc, no matter how long the chap is. It could be long I dunno, but then again it could not. So next chapter the epic battle! And for everyone who has been dying to see Naruto get with someone, your wishes will be answered. I'm also sorry in advance Xp.

I'm cuttin it here! Hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading! Peace.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Like Liquid

Shikamaru sighed as he stared out the window of the Hidden Rain tower. Once again he found himself longing for big blue skies and puffy white clouds, but there were more important things to deal with.

"So Naruto is in Hidden Grass?" Sasuke asked, earning a nod from Yahiko. The blonde was now the only one absent.

"Yes. I do not know the details unfortunately. We haven't heard from him." Yahiko explained, causing Shikamaru to sigh.

"Troublesome." He scratched his chin and shrugged. "I think he'll be fine. If he needed help we would have heard from him."

"Or he could be dead." Sasuke gave Konan a dry look.

"It would take more than a few Hidden Grass ninja to kill Naruto." Yahiko smiled.

"I agree. Let us put our faith in Naruto that he will secure the alliance." Konan nodded. "Now, onto your missions. Itachi, you first."

"When we arrived in Hidden Mist Sasuke and I split up. Sasuke went to talk to the Mizukage as an emissary while I gathered info in the outskirts of the village. From what Sasuke told me, it seems that we succeeded in gaining an ally." Itachi explained. Yahiko nodded.

"Very good. And you Konan?"

"We met with the council and discussed some minor details. I could tell they were disappointed I wasn't Nagato." She smirked. "We established that Headquarters will be based in the Hidden Leaf." Yahiko nodded.

"Very well. Then we will need to appoint someone to assume tactical command of our own forces." Yahiko turned to Itachi. "I'd like it if it were you in there." Itachi's eyes widened.

"Sir-" Yahiko held his hand up.

"I know. Sasuke, can you somehow get Itachi into the Command Center? I know the circumstances behind his...'defection'." Sasuke gaped. "Surely your Kage could pardon him..."

"We can do it." Everyone turned to Shikamaru. "Kakashi will see reason. As for everyone else, well they what they don't know won't hurt them." The Nara devised with a smirk.

"I'm sorry, but how do you expect to hide me?" Itachi questioned. "Next to Orochimaru I'm the most notorious missing ninja in Hidden Leaf history."

"Cocky are we?"

"Just skeptical." Shikamaru laughed.

"Well after this you won't be. Sasuke, please arrange meeting with Kakashi. Here's my plan."

XxX

"The roof? Really?" Ryuuzetsu looked at Naruto like he was an idiot.

"Yea! C'mon it's perfect. No guard is gonna look on the roof because it's too obvious. And plus, this is the only angle you can see them from. Last time I checked, guards don't patrol on top of the wall." He winced suddenly and one of his legs slipped. "Woah. Okay let's get out of here before this Tenrou kills me." A few puffs of smoke later, three clones of Naruto appeared on the roof in meditative positions. "Alright let's go. Maroi should be coming soon for my evening play date." He flashed her a devilish grin and jumped off the wall, leaving her to stare with a melancholy gaze.

XxX

"Ow, okay not there" Ryuuzetsu sighed and took her hands off Naruto.

"If you stopped moving I could heal you faster."

"Yea well my body is on fire right now. Just...just let it heal on its own." She looked at him desperately.

"Why do you let him do this? Why won't you stop him?" He smiled.

"We will stop him. Tomorrow. If there's one thing I learned from my uncle, it's patience. There's always a time to strike. We'll take it when it comes." She stared at him a moment before sighing.

"I just hate seeing you like this." Naruto's eyes softened.

"Why all of a sudden?" He shifted into a sitting position and leaned his bare back against the cool rock. "Oh that feels good. Before this mission you only cared about completing the mission. What changed?" He asked. She looked down.

"You changed. I was driven by revenge before. All I wanted was to avenge Muku. So I dedicated myself to being a ninja so I could do that." Her head snapped up. "But you changed that! I realized that I had lost sight of myself...I broke the very mantra I had swore my revenge on." She ripped the bandana off of her head and clutched it tightly. "I see him in you...but you're so much more. You have this...aura of positivity. You bring peace to those around you. At least...that's how I feel." Naruto leaned forward and kissed her then, and immediately his pain went away. Her very touch was soothing. They parted after a few seconds, and Ryuuzetsu leaned closer.

"They say in the shinobi world you should never put things off, for you may never have the chance to do them again." She whispered with closed eyes. "No regrets." And there would be none. Trapped in that cell together would their love flourish...and die.

XxX

Naruto awoke to the chirping of a bird, which was an odd sound for such a droll place. But today was a day of victory. Not only did he bag the girl of his dreams, but he would complete his mission and secure the alliance as well.

He glanced over at Ryuuzetsu, and he couldn't help but laugh. He was happy. Happier than he had ever been. She was so beautiful...

"Do you need to laugh so loud so early?" She asked groggily as she sat up.

"I'm just happy." She rolled her eyes.

"More like insane."

"Sanity and happiness are an impossible combination." She sighed.

"Just focus on the mission today. We only have one shot." Naruto grinned.

"We won't fail. Trust me."

XxX

"Riot in the courtyard! There's a riot in the courtyard!" Mui's head snapped up at the frantic shouting of his guard. He stood up and  
>flickered out of his office into the courtyard. Instantly he was surrounded by pandemonium and chaos.<p>

"This ends here Mui." The prison warden turned around to see Naruto in Sage Mode, staring at him defiantly. "You and your 'client' can give it up. I'm killing both of you today and putting an end to your treachery." Mui's eyes widened at Naruto's threat.

"So that's what this is about...very well. Maroi!" The warden's sidekick appeared.

"What's up?" Mui narrowed his eyes.

"Our friend Naruto here is a mole. I think it's time we gave a demonstration of our weapon. With the help of our friend of course." Mui grinned and flew through hand seals. "Summoning Technique: Box of Extreme Bliss!" A large seal array spread across the ground and with a great puff of smoke the box appeared. Four masks, each with an odd expression, adorned each side, and Mui and Maroi stood on top. "It ends here for you Naruto. Or should I say, Nine-Tails." Naruto's eyes widened. "What, you thought we didn't know? Your energy will be the energy used to open the box, and there's nothing you can do about it. Fire Technique: Tenrou Syphon!" Mui slammed his hand on the box and a stream of fire whipped out at Naruto, grabbing him and wrapping around him. His Tenrou started to flare up as his chakra was drained into the box, and Mui was laughing maniacally. "Yes! More power! Prepare to see the wrath of the Hidden Grass!" The box started to spout steam, and the front started to open. The mouth of the mask opened up and a path extended to the ground. Naruto watched from his knees as a boy around his age walked out with a blank expression on his face.

"Muku!" Ryuuzetsu ran forward and stared disbelievingly at the brought back to life boy. Mui stared at his son in awe.

"Muku..." He took a step forward, and in an instant, Muku was in front of him.

"Hello...father." Mui gasped as his son's hand pierced his heart. "Now we're even." Naruto stood up as Ryuuzetsu stared in shock.

"Muku no...what are you doing!" Muku pulled his hand out of his father, who crumpled like a ragdoll to the ground, and turned to face his childhood friend.

"Muku does not exist anymore...all that exists is...HATRED!" Muku's skin ripped apart, and a giant black feathered creature emerged like a butterfly from a cocoon. He had claw like hands and feet, and great black wings on his back. His extremities were bone thin, and his torso was only his spine. Four curved fangs protruded downward from his mouth, and he had no eyes at all.

"What the fuck...are you kidding me!" The prisoners started to flee in fear of the beast, leaving Maroi, Naruto and Ryuuzetsu alone.

"Shit this is bad..." Maroi said to himself. "I need extra backup. Lightning Style: Signal Fire!" He raised his hand and shot five bolts of lightning into the air, then jumped away before the monster could crush him. Naruto and Ryuuzetsu stared at the beast in horror.

"Muku...oh Muku..." Naruto's head snapped to her.

"I know it hurts. But please, snap out of it. Now." He grabbed her shoulder and she stared at him for a moment and nodded. "Good. Go get Mui and heal him up. We'll need him to seal this bastard. I'll take care of this." Ryuuzetsu's eyes widened.

"What? You can't beat him alone!"

"I won't be alone. Just trust me. Trust me." She stared at him.

"Damn you. Fine. Don't you dare die." She jumped away then, not bothering to hear his response. Naruto watched her grab Mui and move him to safety before tensing up and jumping away from a hammer strike. The creature had started it's attack, and Naruto was surprised by its speed. It was just as fast as he was. Then he would have to use his father's technique. "Alright, here we go. Summoning Technique!"

XxX

"Lord Raikage, urgent news from Hozukijo." The Raikage stood.

"Go."

"Maroi has launched five signal flares. It's a code black signal. We're dispatching BOLT teams Ark and Ion-"

"Don't bother. I'll be going myself. Maroi doesn't want BOLT. Ready your Transportation Technique Mabui." The woman's eyes widened.

"But sir-"

"Do as I ask Mabui." Mabui sighed.

"Yes Lord Raikage. It will be ready in ten minutes."

XxX

"Yo Naruto! It's been awhile!"

"Not now Gamakichi! We're in a bad situation right now!" Gamakichi looked around and gaped at the enemy monster.

"Holy shit. What the fuck did you do to release Satori?" The toad asked, drawing his battle axe.

"You know him?" Naruto asked as he jumped on Gamakichi, who was almost the size of Gamabunta now. He blocked Satori's claw with his axe and flung him back against a building.

"Yea, he's the guy from the box. He brings destruction and fear wherever he goes. Can't blame em though; if I were trapped in a box I'd wanna fuckin slaughter everyone too."

"Nice to know you sympathize with him. Now oil!" They both sucked in large breaths and spat out streams of fire and oil. The result was a burning hot laser that zoomed towards Satori, who jumped away just in time to avoid it. Gamakichi jumped at him with his axe reared back and started slashing at him like the axe was a wooden sword. Satori easily weaved through the strikes, making any Sharingan user look like an amateur.

"Hahahaha! No one can touch me! Die!" The winged beast countered Gamakichi's relentless attack and switched onto the offensive. The giant toad waved his axe around expertly and parried his strikes until one got through, sending him crashing to the ground. Naruto burst from the cloud of smoke, a giant Rasengan swirling in his hand aimed right for Satori. At the last second, the beast maneuvered around the attack and batted Naruto away. The blonde coughed as he pushed himself up and patted Gamakichi.

"C'mon man get up. We're not done yet." The toad sighed and obeyed.

"You owe me so much Saki..."

XxX

"How curious. There's a toad on the window." Yahiko stated. Sasuke looked at the window and rushed over, letting the creature in.

"Gamamoto, you have word from Naruto?" The small toad nodded.

"Yep. Lord Naruto sent me last night in case he needed backup. He's at Hozukijo in Hidden Grass." Sasuke nodded and pulled a sack of candy from his weapons pouch, which the toad gleefully accepted. "Good work." The little toad saluted and disappeared with a satisfied grin. "Shikamaru, we leave now." Shikamaru hopped off of the desk he was sitting on.

"Alright. We'll have to postpone that meeting with Kakashi." Yahiko nodded.

"It's fine. Do what you must." Sasuke nodded and they started to leave.

"I'm going with you." Shikamaru turned to see Nagato standing next to him.

"The more the merrier. You know where to go Sasuke?" He nodded. "Then let's go."

XxX

"He's dodging all of our attacks. I can't hit him." Gamakichi complained.

"I know. I need to use the Flying Thunder God Technique. But I don't have my kunai with me! And I can't touch him either!" Gamakichi nodded.

"Alright, I got an idea. Put the seal on my axe." Naruto's eyes widened before he grinned.

"Try not to change the landscape." With that, the blonde jumped up and slapped his hand on the blade of the giant axe, applying his seal to the surface.

"Get ready!" Gamakichi charged in and began another relentless assault with his weapon, forcing Satori to focus on dodging. The toad suddenly leapt up and threw the axe at Satori with speed that rivaled a cannon. Satori sidestepped the weapon, but Gamakichi smirked.

"Wind Style: Rasenshuriken!" Naruto appeared next to Satori in an orange flash and thrust his attack at the beast, only to strike air. He fell to the ground in disbelief.

"How..." He heard the shifting of air and jumped away as Satori's claw came crashing down on him. The winged monster kept the barrage of attacks up, making Naruto zip around like a bullet. He jumped over one stab and launched off a wall at Satori, and flew through hand seals.

"Wind Style: Air Cutter!" A blade of wind formed in Naruto's hand and he slashed it at Satori multiple times, sending invisible blades of wind at the monster. Satori jumped and weaved through them all and once again sent Naruto crashing to the ground. "This isn't working...I just can't hit him..." He heard a loud crash, and he couldn't help but gape like a fish. Standing in the middle of the prison, was none other than the Raikage, his Lightning Armor crackling loudly.

"Who the hell let this thing out? Shoulda brought Bee..oh well. Time to die freak!" The Raikage flashed around like a lightning bolt, pummeling Satori with powerful electrically charged strikes, although none of them hit. In the meanwhile, Naruto rushed over to Ryuuzetsu.

"How is he?" He asked quickly. She didn't look up, for she was too focused on her healing.

"I can't keep him alive much longer. You have to stop him now!" Naruto nodded with determination.

"Okay. Damn I wish Shikamaru were here." He groaned. "Okay, the Raikage can buy me some time. I need to think of a plan. I just can't figure out why I can't hit him!" He looked up to see Satori's claw descending on them. "Shit!" He grabbed Mui and Ryuuzetsu and flashed away to the axe, which was still in the ground. "Dammit! I need more time!" He jumped up and charged at Satori and started to attack him furiously, not caring about the fact that he was missing. Satori jumped into the air and shot hundreds of feathers at Naruto, who countered with a wind style attack, blowing them away. Not all of them were blocked however, and one slashed across his arm, leaving a streak of red. He stared at the creature with frustration and anger in his eyes. Not. One. Scratch.

"Naruto!" Naruto's eyes widened as the familiar voice echoed through the air. He turned his head and almost yelled jubilantly.

"Sasuke! Shikamaru! Naga-"

"Naruto!"

"Naruto look out!" The blonde's eyes widened as he felt his entire torso being pierced, and an excruciating pain erupted in him. Surely he would be dead in...

"You...dropped your guard..." Naruto's eyes widened. He lifted his head up and saw Ryuuzetsu standing in front of him, blood dripping from her mouth.

"Oh...f-fuck no. Why...why did you-" She leaned forward and kissed him and he kissed back as hard as he could. They broke apart and he rested his forehead on hers.

"You can't be afraid...to die for what you love." He gaped at her and they both groaned as Satori pulled his claw out of them, but not before Naruto slapped his seal on it. They collapsed in each other's arms and Naruto stared into her eyes.

"I love you." It was a faint whisper, but Naruto heard it like she shouted it in his ear.

"I love you too." He sat up and forced hinself to stand, ignoring the gaping hole in his body. "Now wait. I'll be back for you." He disappeared and she smiled sadly.

"No you won't..."

XxX

"He's gonna die if we just sit here!" Sasuke shouted before dashing into battle. Shikamaru looked at Nagato.

"Do you know Medical Ninjutsu?" The Rinnegan wielder nodded. "See if she can be healed. I need to join my team." Shikamaru ran over to the battle to see Naruto pounding the monster around like a pinball. He turned to Sasuke. "What happened?"

"He yelled something about having no fear and somehow the monster can't do anything. I think it's over though." They watched as Satori was sent flying into the Box of Extreme Bliss, groaning painfully as his spine cracked against it. Naruto jumped into the air and started to charge up a Rasengan, except this one turned brown. Mud started to form around it into the shape of a drill, and little rocks orbited it like satellites.

"Earth Style: Rasenwaremiyari!" The point of the drill crashed into the monster's face and annihilated it instantly. The drill continued to pulverize the box and the ground beneath it, causing a massive sink hole to form. Nagato barely got away with Ryuuzetsu as Sasuke, Shikamaru and the Raikage escaped easily. Naruto landed in front of his work of destruction and promptly collapsed to his knees, his energy leaving him. Sasuke and Shikamaru rushed over to him and tried to shake him awake, but they had no success.

"Bring...bring me to...him..." Nagato looked down at the girl in his arms. She was staring at him pleadingly, so he nodded and picked her up. He rushed over and set her next to Naruto. She pushed herself up and stroked his face, ignoring the pain, knowing she wouldn't live much longer.

"Thank you...for everything. Never lose sight of your way. You're the light that guides everyone else, so you can't falter. I'll be there along the way..." A tear dropped from her face onto his cheek."...in here." She slowly went through hand seals and put her hand on his heart. "I love you. Dragon Life Reincarnation." She leaned down and kissed Naruto, and a green light enveloped his body. She slumped over as the light faded, and Naruto awoke to see her head lying in the crook of his neck.

"Ryuuzetsu...what happened." She didn't move. "Ryuuzetsu. Wake up." He felt her cheek. Cold. "No..." He looked at her stomach. The blood was dried now. "Why...?" He sat up and cradled her body. He noticed Nagato, Sasuke and Shikamaru staring at him with sad expressions.

"She sacrificed her life...to save yours." Nagato stated solemnly. The blonde looked down.

"I..." He was speechless. To think she was ripped away so fast. She was just a dream to him. A scattered memory.

"You can bury her later." Sasuke stated. "We need to leave. The Raikage is still here, and I don't fancy taking him on." Naruto's head snapped up, and his face contorted with anger.

"I do. It's his fault she's dead...this stupid mission was to stop his weasel." He gently moved Ryuuzetsu's body and stood up. Sasuke put a hand on his shoulder.

"Stop. Your being stupid. It's the Raikage." Naruto turned to him and his eyes flashed red.

"Don't." Sasuke seemed stunned, but he backed away and let Naruto confront the Raikage.

"Is he stupid?" Nagato asked, watching dumbly as Naruto went to confront the leader of Hidden Cloud.

"Quite so. But he won't die. He's too focused. I've never seen him like this. I'm a little scared for the Raikage." Shikamaru stated, earning odd looks.

Naruto walked up to the Raikage and glared at him.

"You lose. Your agent is probably dead. Now you'll lose your life." Ei glared at him.

"Who are you acting so cocky boy?" Naruto grinned.

"Surely you remember my father." Ei's eyes widened.

"The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Damn it all, I really should have brought Bee!" He grinned. "Well then, let's see if you live up to your father's name." Both of them blurred out of existence, and the only evidence of their clashes were the sparks of lightning that erupted with each strike. They were moving around so fast that it appeared to be a shower of fireworks, mesmerizing in a deadly way. They stopped after a minute, neither showing signs of fatigue. "You are indeed his son. No one has speed like that. Today is not the day we do battle Namikaze, but we will meet again soon. Of that you can be sure." In a flash of lightning he was gone. Naruto stared at the empty expanse of rubble for a few moments before walking back and picking up Ryuuzetsu's body.

"Let's go." Everyone followed silently, not wanting to break the silence. Nothing they could say would help anyway.

XxX

Naruto gazed down at her body, resting peacefully in her earthen tomb. His fingers were bloodied from digging it, but the fox would fix it. He was numb now anyway.

Her bandanna was wrapped around his arm; her blood stained into the cloth.

He smelled the rain before he felt it, but it was comforting. It was cooling, much like her touch. The way she had made him relax...

The rain was a good veil for his tears, but he only shed a few. Just enough to let her know he loved her too. And he would never forget her.

The dirt had turned to mud now, and Naruto had no choice but to use an Earth Technique to finish her burial. When she was covered he placed a single white stone on her grave, one that would probably blow away in the next storm.

But he would never forget this spot; it was ingrained into his mind. A remote location in the Land of Fire that only he knew about. His sanctuary.

When he finally left the rain was pouring hard. But he didn't care. He was heading to Hidden Rain anyway. Gray never seemed so welcoming.

XxX

**A/N: Sorry that took so long. Bad chapter to make you wait with.****I dunno how I feel about this chapter, but I hope I did well. It's one of the most important after all.****So Ryuuzetsu is dead. I've been hinting at it here and there. But yea she's dead. Once again it's the Jiraiya dynamic. Forever alone kinda thing. Naruto must know pain. Plus I have a penchant for killing off people (see: Jiraiya). I hope you all don't hate me. And no, Naruto will not have another love interest. And yes he had sex with her. In the prison. That's a metaphor. I'll let u decide what it means.**

**By the way Rasenwaremiyari=Rasen-Fissure-Spear. Much better than the Rasenshuriken.****So I'm kinda dying to hear the feedback. It was a little short, but it was focused on one thing mostly. Anyway you know the drill. I do cocaine and heroin and murder children. I wonder if anyone actually reads these. Guess I'll find out. Hope you enjoyed. Peace!**


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: History's Pen

"I don't like him like this."

"C'mon, I've seen Naruto beat his knuckles red on a training post plenty of times. He's fine." A loud crack resounding through the air. "...He's broken plenty too." Sasuke turned to his teammate and deadpanned.

"He's not fine." Sasuke stated with finality. "What the hell do we do?" Shikamaru just shook his head.

"There's nothing we can do. Unless you can bring her back, he's gonna hate the world for awhile." The Nara said sadly. "I hate to see him like this too. But we have no idea what he's going through. Temari and Kairi are still alive." Sasuke looked back at Naruto, who now stood still in the rain, staring blankly at the stump of the training post.

"Did he fall in love with her that fast?" The Uchiha asked quietly.

"It seems so. You know how Naruto is. He loves with everything he has. There is no middle ground." Shikamaru explained. "He's gonna be hurting for awhile."

"This can't happen now. We're about to go to war. He's gonna get himself killed." That statement hung in the air for awhile. It was certainly true. A guy like Naruto, who would surely be on the front lines for most of the war, had to be focused. War was too chaotic to lose your focus, because the next thing you would lose was your head.

Naruto snapped out of his daze and turned to his teammates.

"Which one of you wants to spar with me?" Sasuke and Shikamaru looked at each other, and Sasuke sighed.

"Fine. I could use a good fight." He jumped down to the muddy training field and as soon as he touched down Naruto was on him. Shikamaru watched as they exchanged blows, and he grinned as Sasuke's Sharingan flared to life. Screw sky-watching, this would be great afternoon entertainment. 

XxX

The Sand Siblings walked into the Hokage's office, led by Gaara. Kakashi put down the report he was not really reading and smiled under his mask.

"Ah, so good to see you back safely. Tell me, what are Sasori's plans?" Gaara stepped forward.

"My sensei will be on the front lines with our men. I...I am to assume tactical control of Hidden Sand's army. Temari and Kankuro will be the field commanders under our sensei." Kakashi blinked.

"Wow. Every other village leader is making me look like a huge pussy right now. Damn that Sasori, he did it on purpose." He sighed. "Well, I look forward to working with you. Although now it will only be for a short time." Gaara grinned slightly. "What, you guys don't think I'm a pussy, do you?" Kankuro coughed.

"Well you are the only Kage staying behind..." He said quietly.

"I have things I need to take care of. You do realize that since all of the other leaders are so brave that I'm the one stuck dealing with the administrative shit." He stated indignantly. They shrugged. "I hate you all."

"Very well. Good day Lord Hokage." Gaara walked out of the room, leaving his siblings and a confused Kakashi behind.

"He did know I was kidding right?" Temari chuckled.

"You never know with Gaara." They walked out after that, and Kakashi sat down with a huff.

"Genma!" Genma appeared fully clad in his ANBU uniform. "I have an S-Class mission for you."

"Must you use my real name?" The Hokage hit him with a one eyed glare, which in Genma's opinion was worse than a regular one. "How can I serve you Lord Hokage?"

"First, take a break." Genma rolled his eyes. "Then go pack my bowl. To the top, Genma."

"You know, the old man smoked, but he never ordered us to do it for him."

"I didn't say you couldn't get in. That's why I told you to take a break. Now go before Tenzo finds out and gets mad." Genma was gone in an instant, and Kakashi smiled. It was good to be king. For now anyway. 

XxX

"Well, we'll be off then." Shikamaru stepped forward and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Are you sure you don't want to come?" The blonde shook his head.

"I'll be fine. Tell Sensei I said hi." Shikamaru nodded and turned to Itachi and Sasuke. He made a motion with his head, and they took off, tearing a path through the rain. It was clear Shikamaru was excited to get out of Rain Country.

It would only take about a day to reach the meeting place, which was a safe house hidden in the depths of the Land of Fire. Kakashi would most likely already be there by the time they arrived.

When the rain stopped falling Shikamaru let out a sigh of relief. He gazed up at the sky and smiled when his puffy white friends came into view.

"Home sweet home."

Itachi, who was disguised as a Hidden Rain ANBU, had similar thoughts, except they were much more powerful. This was the first time he would actually be meeting someone from home after all these years...and Kakashi no less. He had planned on finding Sasuke again...but not so soon. That had been shocking in itself but this...this would make long buried memories bubble up to the surface like boiling water.

They reached the safe house by morning, and Shikamaru muttered a few seals and pushed his hand on a tree, activating a sealing array. The tree slid open, and the three black haired ninja walked through. They descended down a swirling stairwell, until they hit the bottom, where Kakashi was reading one of Jiraiya's books. He shut the book, and beckoned his students over.

"It's been awhile. Where's Naruto?" He asked, noting the missing blonde.

"He's in Hidden Rain. He's...not in the best place right now." Sasuke explained. Kakashi cocked his head.

"We don't know the details," Shikamaru continued, "but he went on a mission to secure the alliance with Hidden Grass. He fell in love with the Grass ANBU he partnered up with, and she died on the mission." The Nara explained sadly. The Hokage's eye widened.

"That is...unfortunate. I assume there's nothing I can do to help?" Kakashi asked with concern.

"Not likely. He needs to work this out himself." Sasuke stated.

"I see. And the alliance with Hidden Grass?" Shikamaru snorted.

"Oh they're on our side. You should have seen Naruto. He barged into their council chambers during a meeting, holding her dead body and said 'The mission is done. Are you with us or not?' Apparently there had been traitors in the Hidden Grass, so he was skeptical of everyone. They must have figured out what had happened, either from the dead look in Naruto's eyes or whatever, so the leader just nodded, and Naruto walked out. I don't even think that one will come back to bite him in the ass." Shikamaru summarized, adding his two cents at the end.

"He's always been good at that kind of thing. But enough of this. I'm curious as to why you called me out here for such a discreet meeting." Kakashi stated, moving to the subject at hand.

"Well this...guy here is the appointed commander of Hidden Rain's forces." Shikamaru said awkwardly.

"And this guy is?" Kakashi asked.

"You have to promise you won't do anything drastic." Sasuke stated. "I'm serious."

"Why are you so worried. It's not like it's your brother." Sasuke and Shikamaru looked at each other nervously. "Fucking christ it is Itachi. I was kidding. Why are all of my jokes falling flat?"

"You never were that funny Kakashi." Itachi said as he removed his mask.

"You have a kill on sight order, and you're mocking me?" Kakashi stated with disbelief. He turned to Sasuke. "Is this an elaborate prank? Is Naruto laughing at my expense somewhere?"

"No. It's all real. But there are things that you don't know." Sasuke said, earning a curious glare.

"What information could you possess that I don't?" The Hokage asked.

"The truth about the Uchiha Massacre." Itachi stated. "You wouldn't know because it was never recorded as a mission. How could it be? Such an atrocious act could not be condoned by the village."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Kakashi questioned seriously.

"That I was ordered to kill my entire clan? Yes." Silence hung in the air as Kakashi digested this. It was bitter to say in the least.

"So for the past ten years you've been living a lie?" Kakashi sighed. "Dammit Itachi you should have said something. I would have-"

"You wouldn't have done anything. I cannot go back to the village as Itachi Uchiha. My name is disgraced forever." Itachi sighed. "I have a new home now. It has not been so bad. But I am not here to discuss this. I am here as the commander of Hidden Rain's army." Kakashi stared at him for a moment before nodding.

"Alright. But this does pose the problem of getting you into the village." Itachi placed his porcelain mask back over his face.

"Not as Leviathan." Kakashi's eyebrow rose.

"Leviathan?"

"Hidden Rain ANBU codename. I must admit they are...cooler than animals." Sasuke eyed Itachi oddly.

"You just said something was cool."

"Let us forget I said anything. Kakashi, if you could escort me back to the village, I can assume my duties as commander." Kakashi shrugged.

"Fine with me. I just hope this little stunt pays off. For your sake." 

XxX

Team 7 was back together in Rain again after Itachi's drop off, and both Shikamaru and Sasuke noticed a slight improvement in Naruto's demeanor. But just a slight one.

Information on Hanzo's army was scarce of late, and it put a bad feeling in the pit of their stomachs.

So naturally when the Hidden Rain Jonin scrambled into the office and shouted something about an attack, none of them could say they weren't ready.

"Lord Yahiko! Intruders! In every part of the city!" Yahiko stood quickly.

"Push them back! Don't let them get the upper hand!" He commanded. "And send the fastest hawk to the Hidden Leaf!"

"Yes sir!" The Jonin disappeared from the room as fast as lightning, ready to carry out his orders.

"And so it begins. C'mon, we got a job to do." Naruto stated apathetically. He opened the window and jumped out, hopping off of various pipes as he descended to the ground. Sasuke and Shikamaru followed after a moment, and Nagato right after. Yahiko turned to Konan.

"Let's not let them have all the fun." They finished the exit, and six figures descended swiftly and gracefully from the tower, landing in the middle of chaos.

"Oh it's Hanzo alright." Nagato stated angrily. Each of the attackers had on the old Hidden Rain gas masks; the signature mark of Hanzo's rebels.

"We'll split up here. We must not lose the city!" Yahiko shouted enthusiastically.

"Don't worry, we won't." Naruto was off after that comment, and both of his teammates followed with worry in their eyes. But now wasn't the time. War had begun, and with it a new era of destruction. 

XxX

"What? Hidden Rain is under attack?" The Chief of the Cipher Corps nodded.

"Yes. Apparently it happened at midday. The battle would be over by now." He conjectured. Kakashi cursed.

"Alright, no more time to fuck around then. Tenzo!" The ANBU Captain appeared.

"Yes Lord Hokage?"

"Hidden Rain has been attacked." He sighed. "Put together a battalion of Chuunin through ANBU class units and attach three medic teams to it. No, make it four. I want them in Hidden Rain yesterday. When they get there, whoever's in charge will defer command to Shikamaru Nara." Tenzo nodded.

"Anything else?"

"Send a few of your men out to gather a war council. Just the commanders, I don't care about the council. It's lucky that the Hidden Grass commander arrived today." He listed, his mind firing on all pistons. "Send messages to all of the Clan Heads and have them prepare their clans. I also want Shikaku Nara and Guy Maito here ASAP." He paused. "That's it."

"It will be done." Tenzo slowly split into four copies of himself, the clones growing off of his body like blooming flowers. They each disappeared at once, and Kakashi stood up and pushed his table into the middle of the room.

"That will do for now." He pulled the most current maps of Rain Country, the Land of Fire, and the entire continent and laid them on the desk. He pulled out his ninja roster and tossed it next to the maps. He would be busy all night creating his army, and tomorrow ANBU would be busy ordering everyone what to do. it was bound to get chaotic, but the storm always rages when it breaks. They would just have to weather it. 

XxX

Naruto found that the buildings of Hidden Rain were excellent props to fight with. He leapt from one to the other like a frog, slaughtering any unsuspecting ninja in the street in between. Sasuke and Shikamaru trailed him in the street, finishing any stragglers their teammate left behind.

On the other side of the city, Yahiko, Nagato and Konan were face to face with Aoi.

"So the traitor returns." Aoi scoffed at Yahiko's comment.

"You are the real traitors here. Hanzo is the true leader of Hidden Rain. And your ambition will end here today!" Aoi shouted fanatically. Yahiko shook his head.

"No. All you've succeeded in doing is starting a conflict that will kill thousands. This war will not end in your favor." He stated firmly.

"Don't act so high and mighty. The Rinnegan means nothing to us. Don't think you're the only one with a trick up their sleeve!" Aoi said with a smirk. He took hold of his weapon, and the Second Hokage's sword flashed to life. "But enough talk. I'd rather just kill you now anyway." 

XxX

"I'm sure you can all guess why you've been called here." Kakashi paused, earning a group nod. "Hidden Rain was attacked earlier today by a group of unidentified shinobi. Presumably, Hanzo and his rebels. I've sent reinforcements to Hidden Rain, but they will surely miss the fight. As of now, the Fourth Shinobi World War has begun." The Hokage stated.

"Then we shall beat them back. My Hidden Rain comrades will not fall so easily." Leviathan said confidently.

"We must mobilize our other forces as well." Gaara said slowly, as if pondering something. "My Sensei will lead our army to our borders to prepare for invasion. Hidden Rock must go first." The young commander decided.

"Agreed. They hold the most potential to turn the tides of this war." Kakashi agreed as he rolled out the map of the Elemental Nations. "The Land of Stone we can assume sides with the enemy. The Hidden Village there is small, but it's roots lie in Hidden Rock, and so does their loyalty. That front will be the worst by far." He pointed at Hidden Waterfall next. "Waterfall is a wildcard. We don't know what they plan on doing, but it's possible they could stay neutral." His next target was Hidden Cloud. "From what my students reported, it seems Hidden Cloud is our enemy as well. The Land of Hot Water and Frost Country will become the battlefields for this front, as well as the islands of Old Whirlpool Country." He finished his assessment with a clap of his hands. "We must coordinate an offensive."

"I suggest a pincer attack on Stone Country. Hidden Rain and Sand could wipe them out easily, even if Rock does send reinforcements." Gaara suggested. "An early, easy victory."

"I agree. Once I have the logistics of the outcome of this battle, I will issue my orders to the army." Leviathan stated with a nod.

"It would be best to send word to Hidden Grass too. They will be able to bring aid to Rain faster." Shintojo added.

"We shall send word now. Write out your orders, and our fastest messenger hawks will bring them to your villages. Have them carry out these orders as soon as they get them. Meanwhile, I shall move a bulk of my forces northeast to prepare for Cloud Invasion. An offensiev strategy will work well there." All of their heads turned to the door as it slammed open. Kotetsu, the ever petulant gate guard, burst into the office with a scroll in his hand.

"Lord Hokage! An outpost to the northeast has fallen to Hidden Cloud!" He quickly informed them. Kakashi cursed.

"So soon...Tenzo!" Once again the ever faithful captain appeared.

"Yes Lord Hokage?"

"I want you to lead ANBU teams Alpha, Gamma, Epsilon, Theta and Zeta to...what outpost Kotetsu?"

"Outpost 37."

"To Outpost 37. Hold the enemy off until I send reinforcements tomorrow." Tenzo nodded at his Hokage's orders.

"It will be done. Shall I defer control to the Vice-Captain?" Tenzo asked, as per protocol.

"No, just come back alive. That's an order." Tenzo nodded and disappeared to defend his country. Kakashi sighed heavily.

"And so they strike again." He snapped his finger twice, and two regular ANBU appeared. "Take these orders to the Communication Corps and have them send on our fastest hawks. Give the hawks a soldier pill each to halve their travel times." The ANBU nodded wordlessly and collected the orders before flickering away to the Communication Corps. "Now all we can do is wait. Guy, Shikaku, I would like your help in dividing up our forces." The two advisors, who had been silent for the meeting, nodded. "The rest of you are free to either stay or go. However if you want updates I suggest you stay." None of them moved. "Very well. My secretary shall bring us tea every few hours. It's gonna be a long night." 

XxX

Extra Content: Of White Clouds and Busty Women

When Jiraiya had gotten to heaven, he had expected the cliché golden gates, white clouds and cherubic angels. What he hadn't been expecting was that heaven turned out to be exactly how he had dreamed it: a whorehouse on a cloud. He was the luckiest fuckin guy.

It was perfect too. Beautiful women, all with Tsunade like busts, catered to his every whim. Hell, there was even a Tsunade Clone, a guilty pleasure he couldn't resist.

The best thing about the whorehouse though, much to Jiraiya's surprise, was the bar. Forget the fact that all the alcohol was free, and it was impossible to die from alcohol poisoning. God was his bartender. Fucking God. And so whenever he needed to chat with someone other than a beautiful woman, he would saunter over to the bar, knock back a few glasses of whatever the fuck he wanted, and shoot the shit with the man upstairs. It was truly glorious.

"So why do you suppose I was this lucky?" Jiraiya asked as he swirled around his import ale.

"It has nothing to do with luck Jiraiya. Every action you take is brought into account, and at the end of your life, you are judged. Throughout your life, you've done many great things Jiraiya. Do not be surprised to see yourself here. Life is the trial. This is the reward." God explained as he dried off a glass. "We overlooked your perverted faults. After all, there's really nothing wrong with loving the ladies." Jiraiya stared at him curiously.

"Are you just saying that because this is my heaven?" God chuckled.

"Who knows? But I do know this. That Tsunade is eyeing you up." Jiraiya deadpanned.

"They're all eyeing me up." His deadpanned turned into a shit-eating grin. "And I love it!"

"Well go get what you deserve. I gotta close up early tonight. The wife has been complaining." God said as he pulled his jacket on.

"You have a wife?" Jiraiya asked in surprise. God stopped in the doorway.

"Of course I do. You didn't really think Mary was a virgin, did you?" Jiraiya's laughter bellowed through the bar as God closed the door and locked it behind him. Jiraiya went back to his ladies, when suddenly a sharp pain pierced his chest. After that everything was black, until the slab of wood in front of him opened up, and he stared into the eyes of the Third Hokage. 

XxX

"Purgatory? I'm stuck in fucking purgatory!" Jiraiya shouted angrily as he blocked Hiruzen's kick. "You should have seen heaven! All the alcohol and sex I wanted! It's not fair!" Hiruzen chuckled at his student's tirade.

"Sounds perfect for you Jiraiya." The white haired man grunted.

"It was. So perfect. Oh Tsunade..." Hiruzen jumped back to avoid the arcing slash from Sakumo's blade.

"Thinking about it only makes it worse Jiraiya. Now you get to spend eternity with us." Sakumo said to calm Jiraiya down. The Sannin's eye twitched.

"I'm in hell aren't I?" 

XxX

**A/N: Poor Jiraiya.******

**So got that out pretty quickly. Hopefully you guys like this one more than the last one XD.******

**I guess I should address that huh? Well she's dead. And she ain't comin back. Naruto will not have other love interests, although that isn't to say he won't be with other women. It'll usually just be a one night stand deal. It's the Jiraiya dynamic I tell you. The reason Nagato did not revive her is because the Raikage was there when she died, and the Rinnegan is too powerful a weapon to be revealed. Only Hanzo and Aoi really know about it, and they didn't mention it to anyone. Now that the end of that.******

**Itachi going back to the Leaf seems kinda odd, but really, who would expect Itachi Uchiha to disguise himself as a Rain ANBU and command his army from his home village. It's so farfetched that it makes perfect sense.******

**The attacks on both Hidden Rain and the Leaf outpost signal the true start to the war. Obviously. We'll see how Rain fares, as well as how the counterattack on the outpost goes next chapter. It'll get pretty hectic from there.******

**The war council meetings will be fun to write. Strategizing and all that jazz is fascinating to me. So I can't wait for more of those.******

**Kakashi may have seemed a bit too humorous in this chapter, but he's one of the main comedic outlets without Jiraiya. Also last chapter was a heavy chapter, so I needed to make this one light and airy.******

**Anyway hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading. Peace.**


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Together We March

The level of destruction to the Village Hidden in the Rain was relatively low compared to other invasions in history. But the intruders' goal had been to take back the city, not demolish it, and it was a lucky break indeed. Yahiko stood atop a construction barricade as his ninja forces, along with the reinforcements sent by the ever prepared Hokage, methodically cleaned the streets of rubble and searched for KIAs. A Jonin, the same one that had warned the leaders of the attack, walked up from behind Yahiko.

"Sir." He called out, raising his voice to compensate for the height difference. Yahiko jumped down beside him.

"Report."

"Sir, after a third sweep of the city, we have confirmed 247 KIA, 455 WIA and 10 MIA." The Jonin reported respectfully. "As for the enemy, we estimate that they retreated with statistics doubling ours." That brought a smirk to Yahiko's face.

"We must use this momentum to gain ground then. Good work, take a minute to relax Hiroku." The Jonin smiled at his commander.

"Thank you Sir." Hiroku walked away, and Yahiko waved over Nagato.

"What's up?" The red head asked jovially. In times of despair, Nagato had always been the one to plaster a smile on his face and cheer everyone else up. Yahiko was glad he was here now.

"I need use of your Astral Projection Technique. If you could project me over the village..." Nagato held up a hand sign, and a distorted, multicolored and giant visual of Yahiko's head appeared over the village. To the inhabitants of Hidden Rain, this was nothing new. But it was certainly something impressive to the Leaf ninja. "Citizens of Hidden Rain and our Leaf brethren, before I say anything, I would like to thank each and every one of you personally for defending my village. Your sacrifice today will not be forgotten." Many of the ninja bowed their heads in respect for the dead. This war was for them now, and their lives would not be wasted in vain. "On a better note, I'm sure you'll all be proud to know that the enemy retreated with twice our casualties!" His announcement was met with a loud roar of victory that spread through the city like a tidal wave. "We have won the first battle, but we have no time for reprieve. We must capitalize and push the enemy out of our borders!" Again, a roar of approval. "Your confidence and determination make me swell with pride! And so, together, we will win this war!" More cheers. "For the pursuit of peace, and so that each and every one of you can lead complete lives, I swear that we will win. Now, form up and be ready for departure by tonight. It's our turn to strike back." A final roar of approval swept through the city as the projection faded. Shikamaru, Sasuke and Naruto approached the orange haired ninja shortly after.

"Helluva speech there. You really know how to fire up an army." Shikamaru commented. "I've been given command of this battalion, so anything you want, you got." Yahiko nodded at his gesture.

"Excellent. If you could put together a scouting party to advance ahead and trail the enemy, by tomorrow we can chase the enemy out of my country." Yahiko stated with a grin.

"Done. Anything else?" Shikamaru asked.

"No. Your presence is reassurance enough." The Nara nodded.

"Alright. I have orders to start working on a plan to invade and seize the Village Hidden in the Stones. It will help out in the long run on this front." The young Nara explained.

"A sound plan. We shall deal with them swiftly and efficiently. Until then, we must keep morale high and our minds focused. This war will only get bloodier." 

XxX

The cover of night was on top of the list of things ANBU loved. No one could detect them; they were shadows, ghosts in the night. No one would know they were there until after they were gone.

Unless of course their job was to completely slaughter the enemy. They did that pretty damn well too.

"Gamma in position."

"Epsilon in position."

"Theta in position."

"Zeta in position." Tenzo sighed as his captains reported in. It was now or never.

"Cast the Genjutsu. Two minutes until execution." He paused. "This is war boys. Anything can happen out there. If I don't make it out, I want you all to know you're all the best soldiers I've ever served with." Tenzo heard chuckling over the radio.

"Why you gettin all sappy Captain? We're about to do what we do best."

"Don't get overconfident Rabbit. We may be facing BOLT." Rabbit scoffed.

"Whatever. I say we make BOLT our bitch." Tenzo chuckled at his response.

"You heard the man. Primary objective: Make BOLT our Bitch." He commanded.

"There's the Captain I know!"

"Genjutsu Successful!" Tenzo grinned menacingly. Those Cloud fuckers would learn why it was dangerous to trespass in the Land of Fire. No one could walk through fire and live to talk about it.

"Attack!" Since they had decided that the actual outpost did not need to survive the attack, the first strike was five simultaneous attacks of each element aimed at the fortification. Parts of the outpost were blown away, and immediately Cloud ninja, more specifically BOLT operatives just as they had suspected, poured out of the fort. The second wave of attacks were two wind powered Fire Techniques from opposite sides, and most of the enemies were consumed in the blast. As the fire cleared, vast amounts of steam floated through the air, and about six BOLT ninja were encased in a water dome powered by two of them. The rest of the ANBU charged in and attacked with whatever weapons they were wielding. Two of the ANBU, one a woman with long purple hair and the other a man with short brown hair, tore through their enemies with their katanas, the blades flashing in and out of bodies in crimson streaks. More BOLT ninja jumped out of the fort, but many of them were slapped down by the giant tendrils of wood that erupted from the ground. Tenzo felt the presence of an enemy behind him, and he barely moved in time to save his lung from being pierced. Of course, it didn't save his arm. He cursed in pain as his arm turned into a large wooden mallet, and he decked the guy over the head. He pulled the wakizashi out and threw it on the ground before crushing a guy's skull to save Genma from decapitation.

"Thanks boss. I'll get you back." Genma flickered away then and slashed through three enemy ninja's bodies with an invisible Wind Blade.

However, the most disturbing sound of the night was by far Anko's cackling.

"I love it when we fight the stupid ones! They're so easy to kill!" She lashed her hands out and grabbed two enemies with her snakes, and she swung them around before smashing them into the ground. Three bolts of lightning struck her, but she melted into mud, her clone taking the hit. Three screams were heard as Anko's eerie giggle echoed through the air.

It was sunrise when the battle was over. The remaining ANBU had done a body count as soon as the last BOLT operative had fallen. There had been 20 of them originally, and all twenty bodies were accounted for. So the mission was a success. ANBU had started their attack with 25 men. The surprise attack had certainly made the battle easier, but there had still been eight casualties. A small scale battle, but their sacrifices meant no less. Tenzo stared at the faces of his eight dead men. He had removed each of their masks and memorized each of their faces. He did such with every man who died under his command, as it was an honorable thing to serve and die in ANBU, even if ninja's had no honor.

"Light em up." The blasts of fire roared to life and engulfed the corpses. Standard procedure. When the fire died down Tenzo inhaled deeply and sighed. "Good work today men. Now we wait to rendezvous with our reinforcements, where we will receive further orders. Mission complete, you can all relax now." 

XxX

Naruto perked up when the Shadow Clone he had sent with the Scout Team dispelled itself.

"Ten miles outside of the village, two regiments of Hanzo's rebels are camped out on the mountainside. Numbers estimated to be about 6,000." Naruto quickly informed everyone in the room. Nagato's brows furrowed.

"6,000? Why such a small invasion force then?" He asked in confusion. Shikamaru chuckled.

"It's a trap. They want us to pursue. Aoi must have forgotten about the Byakugan. What an idiot." The Nara cracked a smile. "We need to press them now. Have we been in touch with Hidden Grass?" He asked. Yahiko nodded.

"Yes, they've dispatched two units to come to our aid. They should be here by nightfall." Shikamaru grinned at the Rain leader.

"Perfect. Send a courier to the advancing troops. Give them the location of Hanzo's army, and we'll hit him from his flank first. By the time they realize that it's our reinforcements, we'll hit em again and take em out." The Nara planned easily. "After that, we will combine our forces and invade the Hidden Stone, which will be a cakewalk really." Sasuke grinned at his teammate.

"Enjoying yourself?"

"More than you can imagine." The Uchiha rolled his eyes. Shikamaru cleared his throat to continue. "We should regroup and prepare for departure. We'll need to leave in a few hours for this to work." Yahiko nodded at the Leaf strategist.

"Very well. We'll get started right away." Yahiko left the office to begin the preparations, and his fellow leaders followed. Team 7 was left alone to relax before they left. Naruto fell asleep in his chair, causing his teammates to grin in amusement. Only Naruto could fall asleep at a time like this. Then again, it's not like he'd been sleeping much lately at all.

He still felt guilty about her death. He shouldn't have lost his focus. He shouldn't have let her jump in the way.

He knew it was useless to wallow in self pity, but he honestly couldn't help it. It was just like everything he loved had to be torn away from him. That's why he had mastered his father's technique. He wanted to fight in everyone else's stead, and with that he could. No one else he loved would die. 

XxX

Kakashi was relieved to hear about both the successful dismantling of the Hidden Rain invasion, and the successful counterattack on Hidden Cloud. If they thought they could do as they pleased in the Land of Fire, they were about to get slapped with some serious shit.

"So far everything has gone well. Perhaps we can put an end to this conflict sooner than expected." Kakashi speculated hopefully.

"Hanzo will not take to this loss lightly. He will join the battlefield next." Leviathan stated confidently. "I'm afraid this is where the hard part starts."

"Two regiments of my finest men are on their way to back up your army as we speak. Surely we will crush them." Shintojo stated as if it were fact, but Leviathan shook his head.

"We may have defeated him easily before, but he's been away for many years, training no doubt. He wouldn't have come back if he wasn't stronger." The Rain commander stated.

"Still, we will not give up." Gaara stated with determination, surprising Kakashi. "If we can push Hanzo back into Hidden Rock, we can take both of their armies out at once." Kakashi's visible brow rose.

"You would combine their armies?" He asked curiously, earning a nod from the Sand Jinchuriki.

"It's either that or cut Hanzo off from Hidden Rock and fight a double sided battle." Gaara stated. "A frontal attack is the best option. With your students and my Sensei there, we should have no trouble."

"Very well. I shall send an extra regiment of my men to aid in the invasion." Kakashi assured, mentally perusing the list of regiments he could send. "An invasion of the Land of Earth is no easy feat. You will need all the men we can muster." At this point, Shikaku grunted uneasily.

"While our plans for Hidden Rock and Hanzo are fine and dandy, there's still the problem of Hidden Cloud. In my opinion, they are the larger threat." The wise Nara commented.

"How so?" Kakashi asked, genuinely curious. If there was one thing Kakashi had learned in his time as Hokage, it was the fact that Shikaku was always right. Always. So his input was a priority for Kakashi.

"Well they stand between us and fighting a one front war. As long as they oppose us, our forces will always be split. Quite frankly, we're lucky all of the land in between both fronts is no man's land. I don't wanna think about what would have happened if you hadn't dealt with Orochimaru." Shikaku actually shuddered at his mention of the dead Sannin.

"Cloud will fight a war of attrition, if the history books are anything to go by." Leviathan piped up. "And their defenses surpass that of even Hidden Rock. An invasion of the Hidden Cloud will only end in major loss for us."

"We're getting ahead of ourselves." Kakashi interrupted, feeling the tension increase. The mood in a war council could shoot from calm to chaotic as fast as light speed, and Kakashi wanted to avoid any debates over strategizing a little longer. While they were certainly an alliance, the word alliance was a word without much merit in the shinobi world. The One-Tail incident years ago was a perfect example, although Orochimaru had a hand in that as well. "Let us wait for the next set of updates before we continue our planning. Thinking of ways to cause mass death can tire out a man." Itachi rolled his eyes behind his mask, and he swore he saw Kakashi's visible eye narrow at him. How the hell did he see that? 

XxX

Extra Content: The New Sage

Quakes rocked the foundation of Mount Myoboku as Naruto and Fukasaku traded blows. Many toads would remember it as the day of a thousand earthquakes.

"That's enough Naruto. I think you're ready for the final step." Fukasaku stated, causing Naruto to grin widely.

"Alright. What do I have to do?" The blonde asked.

"Simple." The toad stated as he hopped on Naruto's shoulder. "We must synchronize our chakras so that you will have infinite time in Sage Mode." Naruto's eyes widened.

"Infinite? How is that possible?" Fukasaku grinned.

"I'm sure you've noticed how easy it is to use up channeled Nature Chakra. With this ability, one of us will always be able to channel energy, supplying us with an unlimited supply of Nature Energy." Fukasaku explained. "Now, use your chakra to reach out to mine, and create a bridge between our bodies." Naruto did as asked, Fukasaku doing the same, when the toad was launched from his shoulder. Naruto looked at him in confusion.

"Did I do it wrong?" Fukasaku stood up and sighed.

"No...you didn't do anything." Naruto's eyes lit up in realization.

"The fox..." He dropped down into a meditative position and closed his eyes. Fukasaku eyed him curiously.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to talk to the bastard." Fukasaku eyes widened.

"Talk to...have you ever talked to him before?" Naruto nodded his answer.

"Once, when I was in a coma." Fukasaku stayed silent after that, letting the boy concentrate. He was curious about this development, but he had to be patient for now. Who knew how long it would take to communicate with a demon? 

XxX

When Naruto opened his eyes, he found himself in the stone prison of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox.

"Well, that was surprisingly easy."

"It was easy...because _I_ brought you here." Naruto yelped and jumped around, meeting the fox's glare.

"Shit! Can you not do that?"

"I do not take orders...from _you_." The fox growled menacingly. "Do not waste my time fleshbag." Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"You sure as hell look like someone who takes orders. Or in the ass." The fox's claw smashed against the prison, his sharp talon coming inches from Naruto's face, but the boy did not flinch this time. The stone prison shook from the impact, and pieces of stone crumbled off of it, but the broken spots were mended immediately like magic.

"I do not care for your humor boy...now tell me why you have disturbed me. I thought I told you we would never speak again until you are...worthy." The fox grumbled angrily.

"Why did you kick Fukasaku out?" The blonde asked, deciding to stop annoying the fox.

"I will not have those fool toads invade your body. It's bad enough that I must suffer in this blasted prison with you and your ridiculous thoughts." The Nine-Tails' breath felt like fire on Naruto's face as it explained. "The toads are primitive and stupid. They haven't even figured out how to channel Nature Chakra correctly." The boy's widened at that.

"What? You mean I'm doing it wrong?" The fox's deep laughter echoed through the room.

"Of course you are...your species does everything wrong." The fox snorted lightly. "Humans are weak and pathetic." Naruto scowled at the insult but didn't retort.

"Then how do I do it?" Once again, the fox felt itself surprised by the boy, but then a smirk spread across it's snout.

"As if I would help you...you must figure it out yourself."

"You can't even give me a little hint?" The fox stared at him angrily. "C'mon! I'll never be strong enough to fight you if I can't figure it out." That caught the fox's attention. It wasn't many days he heard someone actually agree to fight him.

'Yes he will be the one...but how to manipulate him is the question.'

"Very well...human. One hand washes the other like Yin and Yang, and together they bleed grey." The fox acquiesced, giving Naruto the hint. Naruto seemed utterly baffled. "Now leave me...I grow...tired." 

XxX

Naruto was jolted by his sudden return to the world. When he opened his eyes, Fukasaku's beady eyes stared back.

"Did it work?" The old toad asked curiously. Naruto stood and nodded.

"Yea, but I'm just confused more. I'll need to talk to Shikamaru about it." Naruto said, standing up. "Is there anything else you can teach me Sensei?" Fukasaku sighed at his query.

"No, there is not. It seems that you will have to make due will only using Sage Mode for a limited time." He explained dejectedly. Naruto smiled.

"Don't worry about it. The last year has been great. I think it's time I returned home." Fukasaku smiled back.

"If you say so. You can always come back if you wish. You know the way." Fukasaku stared at the cloud of smoke that signaled his pupil's departure. He was stronger, much stronger, than when he came here. In mind and body. And the toad was proud he had a hand in that.

"That boy..." 

XxX

**A/N: And done.******

**So it's the start of the war. Shit is goin down. It's still not all that exciting yet, but it's gettin there. ******

**I'm trying to make the war a decent length, so I wanna put a lot of battles. If you guys have any ninja you wanna see battle, please tell me. In fact, if you do actually review, It'd be nice if you could leave me a list of five or so ninja you wanna see battle in the war.******

**The EC was actually pretty important. Just a thing to remember for the future.******

**And speaking of future, I've decided to write a sequel to this. In fact I've already started. But this will still come first. It's just such a damn good idea I don't wanna lose it.******

**So I got a job interview, which means I could possibly get busier, but I don't really think I'll lose that much time. I'm just excited about it, because I'll finally start making some goddamn money. Not great money, cuz it's Wawa(shout out to you east coast readers), but it'll be perfect. .So I figured I'd share with my lovely readers, because I've been sharing with everyone. :)******

**However, I may take longer because of other things, namely FFXII and Shadow of the Colossus/Ico. Just bought the HD version and rebought FFXII for shits and gigs. Great game, kinda wish Balthier had been the main character instead of Vaangina but whatever. Still a great game. And don't even get me started on SOTC. So I'll apologize in advance for the major-assholish shit I'm gonna end up pullin on you guys in the form of slow ass updates. Just know that I'll always be back, because like I said already writing a sequel.******

**So I was reading the story for shits and gigs, when I noticed that I have a lot of inconsistencies. I apologize for that. But I'm not going to go back and fix them for two reasons. One: I'm lazy as fuck. Two: I'd like to keep them there as a lesson to myself. As I continue to write, I will make it a priority to keep things understandable, cohesive and consistent. I just wanna thank you guys for not tearing my ass up for it. They were some pretty glaring errors.******

**Anyway hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading. Peace.**


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Lows

**ATENCION': If you haven't already read the updated story, you should do that first. There are enough changes to the story that you need to go back and read again, or you will be lost. Anyway, if you have read that already, then enjoy the newest chapter of the revamped version of Master of the Shadow Clones!**

Sasuke sucked in a breath of cold, misty air as he silently scanned the horizon with his Sharingan. He of course didn't have the range of vision that the young Hyuuga next to him had, but he felt useless just sitting there waiting for a report.

"Found them." The young Hyuuga, Neji if Sasuke was correct, stated. "500 kilometers northwest. I estimate their numbers to be around 6000." Sasuke's brow furrowed. Why such a small invasion force if they had so many soldiers in the reserve? It didn't add up.

"Good work." He turned to the clone of Naruto. "Disperse so you can send word to command." The clone nodded and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Sasuke turned back to Neji. "What about our reinforcements?" Neji turned towards the east and intently scanned the east plains of Rain Country. He spotted a large mass of chakra and he smirked.

"Reinforcements closing in at 2 o'clock. ETA to battlefield, five minutes." He reported, and Sasuke unsheathed his swords.

"Then let's wait no more. We will lead the attack." Neji's Byakugan deactivated, and he stood and nodded.

"Yes sir. I shall rouse the men." Neji disappeared to get the rest of the scout team, and in moments they were assembled behind Sasuke. The Uchiha said nothing as he charged forward, his comrades following right behind. It was time to strike back.

XxX

Around the premises of the rebel camp, one sentry lethargically made his rounds around the camp, using his better-than-average chakra sensing ability to every so often scan the area. He figured it would be a few more days until the enemy attacked again, and this was nothing more than a formality to him. Of course, when he felt a huge mass of chakra moving from the east, he froze in his tracks and immediately scanned it more intensly. There were at least a thousand shinobi…probably more on their way. But that didn't make sense to the man. Rain Village was to the south.

"Unless…oh shit…" He immediately started to run back towards the base to warn Hanzo. They were about to get ambushed.

XxX

Naruto was unusually quiet during the trip to the battlefield. Shikamaru couldn't help but stare at him out of the corner of his eye the whole time. He was completely lost in his own head, oblivious to the world around him. It was a wonder he was even moving. Shikamaru didn't know what the abysmal feeling in his stomach meant, but it sure as hell didn't bode well.

But for now he would have to push that line of thought to the back of his mind. Focus was key now, and he would have to focus twice as hard if he was going to look out for Naruto.

XxX

The sounds of metal clashing with metal and metal slicing flesh reverberated through the misty air as the scout team reached the battlefield. Their Grass allies had reached only minutes before them, but the battlefield was already littered with corpses. Sasuke charged in with his swords sparking violently, slicing through enemies with graceful ease. A trail of blood and body parts formed behind him as he engaged one rebel after another, dismembering them with silent flicks of his wrist. Suddenly all of the ninja around Sasuke jumped away, and he was blown backward by a powerful wind blast. He rolled back onto his feet and crossed his swords in front of him as he studied the man. He was quite old, with long white hair and a complex rebreather strapped around his face. His piercing eyes glared through Sasuke like bullets.

"You have quickly become a problem boy. I had hoped to join a little later but it cannot be helped. I will not watch as you slaughter my men." Sasuke's eyes widened.

"Your men? Then that means you're Hanzo. I've been waiting to fight you." His Mangekyo Sharingan activated. Hanzo's eyes narrowed.

"So you've unlocked the power of Madara Uchiha…I've heard tales of the Mangekyo Sharingan. If you think a trick like that is enough to stop me, then you're sadly mistaken. The Sharingan is useless against me." Sasuke thought it odd that Hanzo would feel that way. How would he know how to fight against the Mangekyo Sharingan? Not many outside of the clan even knew of its existence, let alone a way to counter it.

"We'll see." Sasuke dashed forward and furiously slashed at Hanzo, who easily slipped through every one. Sasuke didn't know how, but he was masking his body movements so that the Sharingan could not keep up. Hanzo grabbed Sasuke's arm as he rolled under another wild slice and snapped his forearm, making the Uchiha drop the sword. Sasuke staggered and grabbed his wrist as Hanzo kicked him away like a useless toy.

"You rely on your Sharingan too much. Such a simple thing to die for. Tis a shame." Hanzo's hands were a blur as he readied a technique. "Secret Technique: Salamander Tail!" A black extremity sprouted from Hanzo's back, that seemed to drip with purple chakra. It lunged forward and spun into a point as if to skewer Sasuke. He thought he was dead when an orb of blue chakra spun itself in front of him and deflected the attack. The chakra slowly dissipated, revealing Neji, his Byakugan glaring straight at Hanzo. Sasuke pushed himself off of the ground and walked up next to him.

"I owe you one. But I still need some help." He stated as he flexed his broken arm, wincing slightly. He sheathed one sword a held onto the other with his good arm.

"I figured as much." Neji responded seriously. Hanzo's eyes narrowed.

"Your resilience is commendable. But you have already lost this. I will carve your eyes out of your skulls if you try me once more." Sasuke gritted his teeth.

"Just try then." He disappeared and reappeared behind Hanzo, who was able to block his sword slash in time with a wind powered kusarigama. With only one arm, Sasuke's attacks were only half speed, but he was still quick enough to keep Hanzo on the defensive. Neji jumped behind Hanzo and started to attack him with his perfected Taijutsu, but the old ninja was able to block all of Sasuke's strikes and avoid all of Neji's like it was second nature. He expelled a pulse of wind from his body, which blew back both Leaf ninja a few feet; enough to give Hanzo an opening. He lunged at Neji, who had no way of blocking the chakra charged weapons. He easily avoided the wind blades however, his Byakugan showing him the true range of the weapons. Hanzo leapt over a slash from Sasuke, who stood almost ten feet away, a blade of pure lightning chakra extending from the tip of his sword. He maneuvered the long weapon with grace, making Hanzo hop over and around the strikes. Each slash carved a blue stream in the earth, and the mist hissed as it cut through the air. Finally, in a fit of rage, Hanzo struck at the extended blade, causing it to erupt into electricity, shocking him intensly. He fell to one knee as smoke rose from his body.

"You are not bad after all…we shall meet again in this war. But for now the victory is yours. Do not expect the same outcome next time." He jumped away back into the ranks of his ninja then, out of Sasuke's sight. He walked over to Neji, who was panting slightly.

"Thanks." The Hyuuga shook his head.

"Save it for after the battle." Sasuke just nodded at that, and they jumped back into the fray.

XxX

Shikamaru panted as he watched the men under his command rush into battle. Rush into death. It was an awful feeling, knowing that he was responsible for their deaths, even if it was their choice. By his command did they die, and right now they were dying but the hundreds. It was sick.

And to top it all off, Naruto was fighting like an Academy student. He was lucky that only a few Chuunin had engaged him so far; anyone stronger and he might be dead.

Shikamaru heard a familiar violent crackling lightning, and he turned to find Aoi with his stolen Lightning Armor and stolen Sword of the Thunder God.

"You're not gonna get away from us this time." Shikamaru lazily stated. "Most of your lackeys are already dead, so there's no one for you to hide behind." Aoi scowled.

"Hide? As if. I know who you are. I know what you and the blonde kid and your other teammate are capable of. I'm just not scared." His scowl turned into a smirk. "I'm excited." He appeared behind Naruto, who couldn't react quick enough, and Shikamaru's face paled as he saw the Sword of the Thunder God emerge from his chest.

"Naruto!" Aoi's laughter echoed through the air as he pulled the sword from Naruto's body and carelessly tossed him to the ground.

"That's it? How pathetic! And here I thought the Jinchuriki of the Nine Tails would entertain me." He suddenly brought his sword up, blocking a kunai inches away from his head. The piercing eyes of the Rinnegan stared into Aoi's and the rebel glared back.

"Nagato…you seem angry." Aoi looked down at Naruto's body and grinned evilly. "It couldn't be because I killed your only remaining family, hm?" Nagato charged his kunai with wind chakra and launched Aoi away with the Almighty Push. He bent down and picked up Naruto's body and then turned to Shikamaru.

"I'll take care of him. You just worry about the battle." Shikamaru nodded and Nagato jumped away. The Nara stood there for a few moments and stared at the pool of Naruto's blood on the ground. Naruto was officially a liability in battle. He was the fastest man on the continent, he could have dodged that; forget Aoi's Lightning Armor.

"Godammit…you're not gonna like this Naruto."

XxX

"Sir, we've received word that the battle is over. We have successfully pushed Hanzo and his army out of Rain Country into Earth Country." Kakashi nodded at the ANBU.

"Excellent news. What of Tenzo's unit?"

"They have begun to establish a Base of Operations on the border. He awaits your orders." The Hokage nodded.

"Good. His orders are to hold the border for the meantime. He can expect more reinforcements soon. Bring me the full report as soon as you get it." The ANBU nodded and disappeared. "Well, you all heard the good news. Our luck has held out." The other commanders nodded approvingly.

"Yes. We should continue forward while we have momentum." Leviathan stated. "Is the Stone Village our next target?" Gaara nodded.

"Yes. My forces are lined up across the Stone Country border. We can strike at any moment." Kakashi looked at Gaara out of the corner of eye, and he felt a tiny bit of admiration creep up for the boy. He could tell that the boy had changed, and was trying to do so even more each day.

"Let our forces regroup and recover for the next few days." Kakashi interrupted. "The worst thing we could do now is get cocky and rush into a slaughter. When our battalion in the Rain is ready to move, we will give our orders. Let them sit on the victory." Shintojo nodded.

"I agree. We must savor the small victories, because the big ones always come with a greater cost."

XxX

Shikamaru walked into the medical tent with a scowl. It was empty, save for one bed, which is where his teammate lie. Naruto's eyes opened, but he did not move when Shikamaru approached.

"Did we win?" Naruto asked, quietly.

"Yea. We did." Naruto closed his eyes.

"Good. How's Sasuke?" Shikamaru slammed his hand down on the bedside table, startling Naruto.

"Sasuke is fine. I'm not worried about him though. I'm worried about you. What the fuck are you thinking? Anything?" Naruto's eyes widened. "This has gone on long enough Naruto. I'm not gonna pretend I know what it feels like to lose someone you love, but I don't wanna find out either! Your carelessness is going to get you killed!" Naruto stared at his teammate in shock for a moment, before his face contorted with anger.

"Don't lecture me! You're goddam right you don't know what it feels like! I can't live with myself..." He looked down at the bed. "Everyday…every goddam day I wish it was me. She didn't deserve it. She's all I can think about." Shikamaru sighed and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Then I'm sending you home." Naruto's anger disappeared immediately, and it was replaced by surprise. "You've become…a liability. If you're gonna get taken out by a guy like Aoi before the fight even starts…then I can't trust you on the battlefield." Naruto felt a stab of pain at his friends words. "When you're healed…I've arranged for you to be given a few weeks leave. I'm sorry but…it's the only thing I can do to keep you alive." Shikamaru turned around, knowing that his friend was too stunned to even answer. "I hate this too Naruto. I didn't think it would be this that separated us." He walked out after that, leaving the blonde lost in his thoughts. He laid there until it turned to night, and then he was gone. There was no trace, no disturbance of the bed. He would be home before they knew he was gone.

XxX

"Where's Naruto?" Shikamaru looked up at his black haired teammate.

"In the med tent. He's the only one in there." The Uchiha shook his head.

"He's not in there." Shikamaru put his forehead in his palm and sighed.

"Then he's probably in the Leaf Village already." Sasuke quirked his eyebrow.

"Leaf Village? What are you talking about?" The Nara leaned back in his chair and looked past Sasuke.

"I sent him home. He's become a liability." Sasuke's eyes widened.

"You what?"

"You heard me. He can't think straight for long enough to keep himself alive." Shikamaru stated reluctantly. "Aoi almost killed him. He was lucky Nagato was there to save him." Sasuke grunted.

"So what you're telling me, is that you listed Naruto as unfit for duty, and as of right now, we don't have our heavy hitter." Shikamaru crossed his arms.

"I don't like it either. But what else can I do? I have an army to look after. What if he loses it during battle and lets the fox free?" Sasuke's eyes widened at that.

"You don't trust him…" Shikamaru glared at him.

"Don't accuse me of that. Of course I trust him. But with all that's happened…well it isn't a stretch to say that he's unfit for duty." Sasuke stared at Shikamaru in silence before grunting softly.

"…So now what?" The Uchiha asked after a few moments.

"Now, you're the heavy hitter. Everyone's talking about your fight with Hanzo. Although from what I heard, you were lucky the Hyuuga came along." Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Details." Shikamaru cracked a smile. "I guess I'll just have to be a hell of a lot more careful."

"We both will Sasuke. We both will."

XxX

"Hello Naruto. It's good to see you again." Naruto stared at the Hokage with apathy.

"Same to you Sensei." The Hokage sighed and stood.

"Shikamaru told me everything in his report. I know you're fighting your demons, so I'll give you some privacy. People are too busy to bother you anyway." Naruto just looked away. "If you need anything, I haven't left this office since the war started." The blonde disappeared after that, causing Kakashi to wince. An ANBU melted into view from the shadows.

"You think he knew I was here?" Kakashi just stared at where his student had been standing.

"Honestly…no. And that's what's scary. This is gonna be a problem Genma."

XxX

The three leaders of the Hidden Rain had asked Shikamaru and Sasuke to help plan out their next attack. Their orders had been to converge on the Land of Stone from two sides, and wipe out any opposition swiftly. Then they would have a satisfactory headquarters for the long war with Hidden Rock.

"Do we have intel on the Stone Village?" Yahiko asked.

"A little. They're the largest of all the minor ninja villages, and they're close allies with Hidden Rock. They should prove to be quite resilient, but in the end our advantage will hold strong." Shikamaru replied confidently. "The Sand's Kazekage will be in the field as well. Unless Hidden Rock sends a surprise, I think this will be one of the easier battles." Nagato nodded.

"I agree. It will only get harder after this, so we should take advantage of our situation." The red head suggested firmly.

"And we will." Yahiko stated. He turned his attention to the map on the table, which they stood around. "The village is located here. About a half a mile away is a canyon that rises above the village. We will send a small, powerful unit, disguised as a sabotage team, to climb those cliffs and infiltrate the village from behind it. They shall cause disturbance in the village, which is when our armies will attack from both sides, effectively crushing them before the fight starts." Shikamaru nodded in approval.

"Perfect. Looks like you don't really need my help after all." Yahiko smiled at the compliment.

"It is still greatly appreciated. Now to decide who will infiltrate the village. Normally I would send Itachi on this kind of mission..."

"Then I'll go." Sasuke interrupted. "Just let me pick me pick my team." Yahiko grinned.

"Of course. You two are a lot alike you know." Sasuke stared at him for a second with what seemed to be hidden surprise before exiting the tent to recruit his team. Five more would do it, and he already had a few ideas. He walked over to the tent of his first recruit and walked in, not bothering to announce his presence.

"To what do I owe the pleasure Uchiha?" Sasuke couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not, but that was one of the reasons he liked him.

"I'm leading a special mission to ensure our victory tomorrow. I would like you to be a part of my team." Neji's brow raised.

"Interesting. And I assume I can only know the details if I accept?" The Hyuuga questioned, already knowing the answer.

"Something like that."

"I see. Then I accept." Sasuke nodded and motioned his head towards the tent exit.

"Walk with me." Neji nodded and they left the tent one after another. Sasuke lead Neji throughout the camp as he decided on his next recruit. "Our attack will be tomorrow. Our mission is to infiltrate the village from behind and cause a riot in the village, to distract them. We'll be operating alone, and our only reinforcements will come after our mission is completed. We're going to have to be careful looking for scouting parties." Sasuke explained quietly.

"Which is why you chose me." Neji stated.

"One of the reasons. The other was that I needed a co-captain who could keep his head. You don't seem like the type to fly off the handle." Neji's brow raised.

"Are you used to that sort of thing?" Sasuke actually broke into a chuckle at that.

"You can't even imagine…"

XxX

Sasuke shivered as the morning breeze sent chills down his spine. The climb up the cliffs had been a nightmare, even with chakra. More than once someone had almost fallen, but somehow they had all made it to the top. But after seeing the view, it all seemed worth it. The Land of Stone certainly took after its namesake, with stone paths surrounded by large boulders twisting every which way. The edge of the Hidden Stone Village could be seen through the morning fog from the top of the canyon, and it would be easy to slip in unnoticed. Sasuke signaled for his team to move out and jumped off the side of the cliff, landing on the side of the canyon. He continued to rebound off of each wall until he reached the ground, and seconds later five thumps followed. The village could be seen much more clearly from the ground, and Sasuke could faintly make out a sentry making his rounds. He tapped Neji, who scanned the surrounding area with his Byakugan, and nodded, meaning the coast was clear. Sasuke was behind the sentry in seconds, and he silenced him with a kunai through his temple. He picked up the body and quickly flickered back to the canyon, where he hid the dead sentry. He signaled to move out, and one by one they entered the village unnoticed. Their mission was successful, and now came the fun part.

XxX

Shikamaru and Yahiko stood under Nagato as he scanned the area of the Hidden Stone Village from the top of a tall boulder. Even if it was so far away, Nagato would be able to pick up the slightest fluctuation of chakra with his Rinnegan. And that was all they would need.

"Woah. I guess by diversion you meant explosion." Shikamaru rubbed his forehead.

"That's something Naruto would do…I guess I did tell him he was the heavy hitter now…goddammit." The Nara sighed in exasperation. "Well mission successful."

"Then let us give the order to move out." Shikamaru stopped Yahiko.

"No, let the confusion set in. If I know Sasuke, that's not the only explosion there's gonna be. Let their forces become scrambled and uncoordinated before we attack." Yahiko took a step back and nodded.

"Alright. We shall wait ten minutes. After that, it will be a half hour march to the village. Plenty of time for confusion to set in." Shikamaru nodded and was about to say something, when Nagato cut him off.

"You were right. There was another explosion." Shikamaru just shook his head.

"Right. Well it's only a matter of time now."

XxX

Sasuke grinned as his second target went up in glorious flames. It was quite satisfying to see his work go off without a hitch. He heard a third explosion rock the ground from across the city, and he knew his team had successfully pulled off the final detonation. He knew the entire ninja force was looking for him now, so he didn't bother hiding. Instead he walked into the nearest bar, ordered a drink, and waited for the ruckus to die down. Without his headband he looked like a simple mercenary. A mercenary that no one wanted to bother or sit near, which worked perfectly for Sasuke. He finished the drink rather quickly and left the bill on the counter before walking out to see dozens of ninja running across the roofs towards the explosions. Like sheep herding to the slaughterhouse. He decided to follow and observe for a little longer, which was quite easy to do with the large moving, panicking crowds, to give more time for the reinforcements to arrive. When the rooftops were mostly clear, he took to them and headed towards the largest fire, where a good portion of the ninja force was pummeling the fire with water techniques. Sasuke decided that it wouldn't do to have the fire go out so early, so he jumped in front of a row of the temporary fire fighter, and sliced them all in half with his extended Chikari. It took a moment for the act to register in the minds of the Stone ninja, but when it did they screamed bloody murder and charged at Sasuke. With no time to draw his swords, his Chikari extended from both of his hands and he started to slice apart the Stone ninja by to dozen. His extended blades could take out four ranks at a time, and he was too fast to move away from. Bodies fell like hail, and blood like rain as he tore a path through the opposition. Finally, he heard the cries of battle as his comrades entered the city, and he knew it was over. All that was left was to clean up and meet up with Shikamaru.

XxX

"A siege in under two hours…it's a fuckin miracle." Shikamaru stated in blatant disbelief. "They didn't even put up much of a fight. And where were the reinforcements? I saw not one Rock ninja nor one of Hanzo's men. It was like they wanted us to have Hidden Stone…" The Nara turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Do not fret over it too much my friend. Should we not drink and eat when we are given wine and bread? Let us enjoy this opportunity to live and fight another day." Shikamaru's eyebrow rose, but he smirked.

"You have a way with words don't you?" Yahiko shrugged.

"A leader must always have a sharp tongue." The Nara shook his head.

"Of course. Well, if you'll excuse me, I have a report to right. The shortest report in the history of the Shinobi World Wars at that."

XxX

Two weeks had passed since Naruto had been sent home. It was surprisingly quiet in the Leaf Village, and the blonde wasn't so used to it being empty. Empty…everything felt empty right now. His friends had lost faith in him, his Sensei looked at him like an injured puppy, and now he was completely useless to the war effort. Hundreds would die, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

As he wallowed through the streets, he decided that enough was enough, and he needed to talk to someone. Anyone. Kakashi did say he would be in his office…

XxX

Kakashi sighed in relaxation as he pulled his book out of his pocket. All this planning for war was making him fall behind on his reading, and that just wouldn't do. So when he heard his door creak open, he was not amused.

"Whoever that is better hope they can dodge a kunai." He felt a presence behind him, and he sighed. "Right, of course that would be too easy for you. What can I do for you Naruto?" He pocketed the book and spun his chair around to see Naruto's silhouette outlined in the window.

"I'm…I'm lost Sensei." Kakashi was a little taken back by the show of vulnerability, but he could do nothing about it as his door burst open. He spun around as he identified the intruder. It was a Chuunin named Kiba Inuzuka, who if Kakashi was not mistaken, was part of a scouting party on the western borders.

"Lord Hokage!" He shouted as he tripped and fell to his knee.

"Kiba, calm down. What the hell is going on?" The Chuunin took a few breaths.

"It's Hidden Rock sir…an entire invasion force has already crossed the border." Kakashi and Naruto's eyes widened.

"What? How could that have happened?" Kakashi questioned in shock.

"They're coming from the south west…my commander said that they must have traveled around Hidden Sand the long way." Kakashi dropped into his seat.

"Around…then they've had this planned for two weeks at least…that's why there hasn't been a peep from them on the front…dammit…" He looked down at Kiba.

"Thank you Kiba, for bringing this information. What about the rest of your squad?" Kiba looked down at the ground.

"They stayed back to hold them off…I was chosen to go because technically, there are two of me…" Kakashi eyed the tired ninja dog next to Kiba.

"Well done. Your comrades' sacrifices were not in vain. Go get some rest." The Chuunin pushed himself up off the round and look at Kakashi with determination.

"With all due respect Lord Hokage, I can't just sit here and wait around. I need to go help my team." Kakashi sighed.

"I know how you feel Kiba. But the truth is…I'm not sure what help you can be. Or any of us really. We have but a small battalion in the village. 2000 Leaf ninja ready to fight. I would estimate their numbers to be around 10000. This isn't an invasion…it's a slaughter." Kiba stared at Kakashi in astonishment.

"What are you saying then sir?" He sighed.

"I'm saying that I'm going to lead that battalion into battle against the invasion, and the village is going to evacuate. We'll hold them off for as long as we can but…" He shook his head. "Where exactly is the force coming from Kiba?" The Inuzuka scratched his head.

"We were pretty far south when Hinata saw them. I remember saying that if they were alive, they would go to one of the sanctuaries in the forest. Lake Wander I think it was." Naruto's eyes widened.

"What did you say?" Kiba blinked.

"Lake Wander. Yea that was definitely it." Naruto tensed, and Kakashi looked at him oddly.

"Are you okay Naruto?"

"She's buried there…" Kakashi was confused for a moment, until he realized that _she _was the cause of Naruto's current state.

"She's buried there? How is that possible?" The Hokage asked in bewilderment.

"I wanted to bury her in a place that only I would know. So no one would ever disturb her." He answered quietly.

"Well, she's about to get very disturbed." Naruto's head snapped up.

"No. I won't let that happen." Kakashi cocked his head.

"What do you me-" Naruto suddenly vanished, and Kakashi's eyes bugged out of his head. "Oh shit."

"What is it?" Kiba asked, completely unaware of what was going on. Kakashi rubbed his cheek and sighed.

"I'm pretty sure he just left to take on the invasion force alone."

XxX

**A/N: I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaack. So I finished fixing the story and now this is the newest chapter! Hope you guys like everything that has changed, and I hope you like the newest chapter. Crazy cliffhanger I know. But it's a good way to come back yknow? Anyway this is a short note, I just wanna throw out the request for a beta, just to help keep the story in line and sensical. Anyway, hope you enjoyed. Peace.**


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Death Will Set You Free

The sound of the rustling leaves was perfect cover for the hastily advancing Rock invasion force. They moved quickly and quietly through the treetops; no one could tell that ten thousand shinobi were rushing through the forest. They only had about a day left in the long march, and then they would annihilate the Leaf Village, and snuff out the Will of Fire along with it. It would be a glorious day in the history of Hidden Rock, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

So when a lone Leaf ninja appeared in a small clearing directly in the advancing army's path, the Commander couldn't help but chuckle.

"One pathetic tree hugger? Is that truly all the Leaf thinks we merit?" The Commander landed in front of Naruto, a confident smirk plastered on his face.

"I came here on my own. I wasn't going to let my Sensei throw away our village." Naruto looked around, noting that he was surrounded by ninja on every branch of every tree. "I won't let you past here. Not one of you." The Commander laughed throatily.

"You're amusing! How do you plan to manage that pipsqueak?" Naruto met the Commander's gaze, and the Commander faltered at his blue eyes.

"If you recognize me…then you know what's about to happen." The Commander's eyes widened.

"EVERYONE-"

"Rasenwaremiyari!" The Naruto standing in the clearing disappeared in a puff of smoke, and the real Naruto came crashing down from above with the Earth Style Rasengan. It created fissure that split the ground in two, sending Rock ninja cascading into the abyss. The tremor caused all of the trees to become uprooted, and one large chunk of the canyon wall broke off, sending even more Rock ninja to their deaths. Most of the debris had been blow away, and Naruto now faced the true size of the army. All ten thousand, minus the dead ones, stood in front of him, all oozing killing intent. Naruto smirked and let some of the Nine-Tails chakra bubble up, smothering the killing intent of the army. He created his signature hand seal, an there was a great cloud of smoke that formed around him. It swirled and swayed through the air until it finally dissipated, revealing an army of 1000 Narutos. The ninja in the rock army could only stare in awe as the entire army of clones lit up a brilliant orange light, like fireworks, and then, nothing,

XxX

Naruto's face was locked into a stone cold stare as he flashed between enemies, ending their lives before they could even comprehend what had happened. It really only took about thirty seconds, with his army of 1000 clones to aid him. At the end, he stood above the last living rock ninja, a sea of corpses trailing behind him, like a crimson carpet.

"You will live to tell this tale. Too much death for one day." His army of clones disappeared as he threw his kunai away in what seemed like disgust. He turned his back to the survivor then, slowly walked away from the scene of utter destruction and death. The young Chuunin looked at the odd kunai and picked it up, examining it, until he recognized it from his textbooks. It was the kunai of their most hated enemy, the Yellow Flash of the Leaf. But apparently, he had a son.

And this one was far more terrifying than the last.

XxX

A small fire dimly illuminated the small are where her grave was marked. Naruto sat next to the smooth, round, white rock that signified where her body lay. His eyes were glued to the sky, their gaze unfocused and lost.

"I kept them away…not that that'll change things. Nothing will change things." He took in a deep breath. "I know this and yet…why do I feel like dying? Giving up had never crossed my mind until that day." He paused, searching for his next words in the dark blue sky. "How are you supposed to go on when you're without the people you love? God…I have so many questions for you. I need some kind of guidance…but you're not here. What am I supposed to do?...what would you do?" He took in another shaky breath. "I wonder if you would be in the same position as me if it had been me and not you. Would you give up? Would you beg for it to change? Probably not. You already dealt with it once, with Muku. I know you loved him, but you still survived. You would have done the same with me. So why do I feel so goddam pathetic?" He paused to reign in his emotions. "What was it you said that day? To never lose sight of myself? I'm sorry I failed that too, but I've lost the light to see with. All I see is death." The small flickering flame flashed from orange to a bright, bluish-green, and Naruto stared at it in awe. "What..." It danced calmly in the darkness, giving off an angelic glow. His eyes flicked from the fire, to her grave and back to the fire again before a small smile crossed his face.

"Is that your way of mocking me? Or are you trying to tell me something?" He stared at the flame as if he expected it to answer, and it glowed a little brighter. "You'll be my light? But you're gone…" The fire flickered in an almost angry way. "Or maybe I was lost. You were here the whole time. I guess…I guess I forgot to cherish your memory as much I cherished you…I lost sight of what mattered. I'm so sorry." The flame calmed. "I won't forget again. Not as long as I live. I've moved on now. Thanks to you of course." The fire faded back to its normal colors, and Naruto blinked and rubbed his eyes.

"…I hope all of that was real."

XxX

The Tsuchikage stared down at the lone survivor of what was supposed to have been a battalion strong enough to tear the Leaf Village asunder. The old man just shook his head.

"Ten thousand…this boy is no joke. And you said he was tired of killing?" The old Kage questioned.

"His exact words were 'Too much death for one day'." The survivor swallowed the lump in his throat.

"You won't be forgetting those words anytime soon will you son?" The Chuunin stared straight at his leader.

"They're seared into my brain, sir." Onoki sighed.

"As they should be. An encounter with someone stronger than you always rewards you if you come out alive. Although, in this case, I think your reward might just be a warning." The old Kage spun around in his stone chair and looked out over his enormous village. "This will halt our effort for some time, with the loss of a fourth of our ninja force, but soon we will be back, and stronger than ever. You know what's best about the earth element son?" The Chuunin shook his head.

"No sir." Oonoki spun back around and stared at the boy.

"Because you can hit the earth as hard as you want, but the only thing you're doing is making it stronger; compacting it tighter and tighter. Our core of earth will get stronger with every loss, and soon, we will have our revenge on the Namikaze name. By your dead comrades, I swear." The Chuunin bowed.

"Thank you Lord Tsuchikage. I wish to be there as well." The old Kage nodded.

"Of course. But for now, we must stay away from the boy. Rank him in our Bingo Book as an S-Class target, with flee on sight orders. We have to be just as careful as we were in the last war with his father." The Chuunin nodded and left to carry out his leader's orders. The Tsuchikage groaned when he was finally alone. "Damned Namikazes…always pulling miracles out of their asses. If my back weren't so brittle…"

XxX

As Naruto walked through the gates of the Leaf Village, he spotted a green blur rushing towards him, and he sighed for what was about to happen.

"Naruto! You have returned unharmed! Tell me, what happened?" Guy asked frantically and enthusiastically.

"There is no more threat to the village." Guy flailed in shock.

"What!? Are you telling me that you defeated a force of ten thousand ninja!?" Naruto looked around and sighed before nodding.

"Look can we not talk about that right now? I just need to know where Kakashi is." The Green Beast of the Leaf flailed in admiration.

"But Naruto! You're youth is too great to just ignore! I must-" He was startled when Naruto suddenly disappeared in an orange flash. "Aha! You're youth knows no bounds Naruto!"

XxX

Kakashi was the first to realize what was about to happen, and when Naruto appeared directly on the table in front of Kakashi, the Hokage and Itachi were the only ones able to keep their cool.

"Naruto! What the hell are you doing here? And get off of the table." The blonde flashed off of the table and appeared to the right of Kakashi.

"There's nothing to worry about anymore." Kakashi's head fell to the table with a large crack, and everyone else looked at Naruto in astonishment.

"By that do you mean…?" Leviathan asked, leaving the question in the air. Naruto just nodded.

"Naruto…" The blonde looked over and saw Gaara, and a smile lit up his face.

"Gaara! I had no idea you were here!" The blonde's boisterous greeting brought a tiny smile to Gaara's face.

"Yes, my Sensei named me Chief Commander of our shinobi forces. He said that I could be a better weapon if I used my mind, not my power." He paused and closed his eyes. "I'm starting to understand what he meant." Naruto's smile grew wider at Gaara's statement. To hear what used to be a bloodthirsty psychopath say something like that…

"Uh Naruto?" Kakashi interrupted. "I understand you haven't seen Gaara in a little while, but we have some more important issues to deal with here. Like that fact that you just annihilated ten thousand men with what seems to be not a scratch on your body." Naruto rolled his eyes.

"I'd rather not talk about it." Kakashi's brow raised.

"What do you mean?" Naruto scoffed.

"My hands are covered in the blood of ten thousand men. As if I needed to add to my body count." Kakashi's eye widened. "What's done is done. There is no more threat to the village. Just take it for what it is." The Hokage shook his head.

"I don't think you understand Naruto. What it is, is a miracle." The blonde looked at the faces of the other Commanders. Gaara seemed somewhat proud of him, while the Grass leader was downright speechless. Itachi was obviously harder to read with his mask, but Naruto could sense that he was a little bit impressed, if not frightened at all. Naruto thought back to the night after the battle, when he had been at her grave. When the fire changed colors, and somehow she helped him regain himself.

"Maybe you're right Sensei…" He trailed off and looked out the window, and Kakashi awkwardly coughed to get his attention.

"Either way, this means you're ready for active duty again." Naruto's face became serious.

"More than ever. I won't forget myself this time." The Hokage nodded.

"Excellent. Then I have your next assignment for you." Naruto's face sagged.

"Can I at least get one more night to chill? I haven't really enjoyed myself…" Kakashi rolled his eye.

"Fine. But I'm briefing you now. It'll make your time here…sweeter." Naruto eyed Kakashi with apprehension at that, and the Hokage's face became serious. "Your mission is to head north up to the border where our forces are amassing. You will relieve Tenzo of command and lead the Army as the General of the Northeast Front." Naruto's eyes widened. "I'm giving you total control of our army. Anything you need: supplies, reinforcements, intel, you name it and you have it. I need someone I can trust up there, because soon, I'll be heading west to take control of that front."

"Wait, you mean that I don't even have to answer to you at this point?" Kakashi shook his head.

"Nope, I'll be too busy to deal with your shenanigans, for once in my life." Naruto laughed.

"You'll miss it." The Hokage laughed along with him.

"I know I will Naruto. I know I will."

XxX

That night Naruto decided he would talk to his dad. He definitely needed some advice.

"So Kakashi named me General today." The gentle sway of the wind ruffled his cloak as he sat atop the Fourth Hokage's head, joint in hand. He took a puff and exhaled slowly, admiring the smoke as is trickled into the sky. "I'll be heading up north to fight the war with Hidden Cloud. Come to think of it, you were in a similar situation weren't you?" He took another puff. "Then again, you were everywhere during the war. Everyone says you were the reason we won." He sighed as he lightly blew the ash off of the tip of the joint. "I think I'm ready to be a leader though. I was in a bad place for a little while…but now I think I'm better. I'm not going to beat myself up anymore, and I'm going to make sure I keep as many people alive, ally or enemy, as I can. After the other day…" He shivered, "…there's been enough death." He flicked the finished joint off of the mountain. "Well, I'm gonna go get some sleep. I dunno what I'm gonna do tomorrow, but I'll figure it out. Goodnight dad." He was gone in a second, his father's technique taking him to his estate in the blink of an eye.

XxX

It was midday when Naruto woke up, a fact that Naruto relished. He couldn't remember the last time he was able to sleep in. And sleep well. He was ready quickly, his usual exuberance bubling up to the surface. Kakashi had been right when he said this time would be sweeter.

"I'd like an orange please." The vendor happily handed him the fruit, and Naruto gave him a few ryo. He smiled as he walked away, using his wind chakra to perfectly cut the orange into six slices. He popped one in his mouth and sucked on it as he walked down the street, not caring about the odd stares he was receiving. He observed the people of the village as he strolled through the streets with no destination in mind. He just wanted to take in every aspect of the village before he was gone. The friendly merchants, the boisterous children; all of it was bliss for Naruto. It was for this that he fought, and he would fight to protect it.

"Hey mister!" He tured his head and popped the orange slice out of his mouth, causing the boy who called him to giggle.

"What's up kid?" He asked jovially.

"Are you a ninja?" Naruto rolled his eyes. Another aspiring ninja. If only they knew.

"Yea, I am." He turned and nodded, and about five more boys poured out from an alleyway and crowded around Naruto. They observed him with childish wonder, and he scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Will you play with us?" Naruto turned his head to the one asking, and his eyes softened. The boy was so excited, so eager. So eager to play ninja, but it was no game. It left a bittersweet feeling in his mouth.

"Yea, I'll play with you guys." The children cheered happily as the pulled out their fake weapons.

"Alright, you versus all of us! Think you can take us?" The apparent leader shouted challengingly. Naruto had to smirk at the situation. He had faced worse odds.

"I dunno, you guys look pretty tough." He disappeared and reappeared behind the leader. "Then again I'm pretty good too." The boy whirled around in shock, and all of the children stared at him in awe.

"Woah…you're really fast!" One of them shouted excitedly. Naruto smirked.

"Yup. I'm the fastest guy alive y'know?" The kids gawked.

"What? No way, you're lying!" Naruto shook his head.

"It's true. You guys know who the Fourth Hokage is?" They nodded their heads. "He's my dad." Naruto had to hold in his laughter at their amazement. It was nice to put this kind of look on these kids' faces, even if it meant he had to brag a little. In the end, it made their day, and that was all he could ever ask for.

"That's so cool! Hey, my dad is an ANBU!" Naruto rolled his eyes. Kids breaking protocol.

"Oh yea? Who's your dad?" Well, it wouldn't hurt now. They did break it first after all…

"His name is Genma! Do you know him?" Naruto chuckled at that.

"Wait, Genma is your dad? I never knew he had a kid." The little boy nodded. "Where is he now?" He looked down at the ground sadly.

"Up north." Naruto's eyes widened, and he knelt down in front of the boy.

"I'm heading up north too." The boy looked up. "The Hokage asked me to lead the forces up there. I'll be in command of your father, who is one of the best ninja I know. And I'll make sure he stays okay." The boy's eyes brimmed full of hope.

"Really?" Naruto nodded firmly.

"Definitely. He'll be back before you know it. I'll make sure." The boy suddenly lunged forward and hugged Naruto, causing him to stiffen.

"Thank you!" Naruto chuckled and patted him on the head.

"Anything for you kid."

XxX

It was a small goodbye. Only Kakashi was there. But really, that was all that mattered.

"Take care. And for the love of everything sacred don't do anything too ridiculous." That familiar grin spread across Naruto's face.

"C'mon Sensei, you said you trusted me didn't you?" Kakashi chuckled.

"Yea I did. I trust you more than anyone. Besides Genma that is. But that's a different story. The point is this, you are the best person for this job. I thought about it for hours, but in reality it was a clear choice all along. Shikamaru is doing fine over there now, but I know he doesn't want to be the leader, nor does Sasuke. So I can handle that. And you can handle the rest." Naruto nodded.

"Of course. Although I'm a little disappointed we won't be having a Team 7 reunion. I'll be lonely." Kakashi chuckled and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll send Sasuke your way sometime. I think there may be a time when you need one of us." He predicted. "But we're always with you. Don't forget that." Naruto looked up at the sky.

"Yea…so is she…" Naruto looked back at Kakashi. "Thank you. For everything." Kakashi had no time to respond before the blonde was gone. Kakashi stared at the space where Naruto had stood before with a solemn look on his face.

"It should be the other way around…"

XxX

It was relatively easy for Naruto to make it to the border in a few hours. Between his natural speed, his superior wind control, and his father's technique, traveling wasn't an issue for him anymore. He could probably be across the continent in less than a week.

He arrived at the encampment to see hundreds of similar tents uniformly lined up in rows. Many ninja were running around the camp doing whatever they could to help set up. The commander's tent was easy to spot, as it towered over the rest of the tents. He was in front of it in a second, and without hesitation he pushed the flap aside and entered.

"-want to set up a few-" Tenzo turned to the side and smiled when he saw Naruto. "Naruto, it's been awhile. What brings you here?" He asked curiously. The blonde pulled a scroll out of his pocket and handed it to the ANBU Commander.

"I'm to take control of this army and lead the campaign against Hidden Cloud. You'll be my second in command." Tenzo unrolled the scroll and scanned it before nodding and tossing it aside.

"Right. Well then, let me get you briefed. Hayate, we shall continue our meeting later." Hayate nodded and exited without a word. "Tea?" Naruto shook his head. "Very well. We've had no contact with Hidden Cloud since the initial attack, but scouting reports say that Hidden Cloud is amassing their forces on the other side of the Land of Hot Springs, which makes the land in between the battlefield." Naruto's head snapped up towards Tenzo.

"I won't let innocents get harmed by this war. Whatever it takes, the death toll is too high already. Do I make myself clear?" Tenzo's eyes widened momentarily before he nodded.

"Yes sir. But, what about Hidden Cloud? We can't stop them from invading the Land of Hot Springs." Naruto closed his eyes for a moment and then let out a slow breath. When he opened them, they had a contemplative look to them.

"Finish briefing me. I'll think of a plan when I have more information." The blonde general ordered. Tenzo nodded.

"Right. Our army consists of eight thousand five hundred men, and we probably have about fifteen hundred reinforcements in the Hidden Leaf ready to come to our aid. We have a full stock of light weapons, as well as rations to last us about two months. Within our forces we have a medical force of about eighteen hundred, half of which are field medics. Morale is high, and the men are ready to fight. There a few big names in the camp, and I'll introduce you to them later. It's good to know who to turn to when you need a job done." Naruto nodded as he took all this in. He knew what being a General entailed, and he knew he need to know all of this stuff, but Tenzo had been doing it for years, and it almost seemed like second nature to him.

"Right…listen I'm not really used to all this." Tenzo looked at the slightly overwhelmed expression on Naruto's face and chuckled.

"Don't worry, that's why I'm here. When I first started as ANBU Commander, I would never have made it without Kakashi. He wasn't in ANBU anymore by that point, but he had been one of the best commanders in a long time…he showed me a lot of things." Tenzo explained, and the tension melted away from Naruto's body.

"Thanks. I'll get it down soon. I just…I need to meet the men first. And I need to think of a strategy." Tenzo nodded at his commander.

"Let me introduce you to the men first, then you can worry about the strategy." Naruto nodded, and the ANBU led him out of the tent. He led Naruto through rows and rows of tents until he stopped in front one with the Sarutobi Clan symbol on it. "I'm sure you've met before but…" Tenzo pushed through the tent to see Asuma relaxing on his bedroll smoking a cigarette.

"What do I owe the pleasure Commander?" Tenzo shook his head at Asuma's greeting.

"Co-Commander now. This guy is the new Commander." Tenzo stepped aside revealing Naruto, and Asuma whistled impressively.

"Well I'll be damned. Naruto Namikaze, it's been a long time. I don't think I've seen you since my old man was alive." Naruto smiled at the mention of the Third Hokage.

"Yea it's been awhile. I heard you had a kid." Asuma scoffed.

"Yea yea I've heard enough about that. What about you? General Namikaze does have a nice right to it doesn't it?" The blonde rolled his eyes.

"If you say so. I don't want anyone calling me 'General' or 'Commander' or anything like that. Just Naruto." Asuma chuckled at the boy's modesty.

"'Fraid that's probably not gonna happen. Y'see, when the younger Chuunin and Jonin who haven't seen war see a kid your age doing the things you do, they're gonna worship the ground you walk on. You make miracles boy, I heard the latest story. Wait until the rest of the men hear it too, you won't just be General. You'll be the next Hokage. Or that's what they'll expect of you. I know because I saw all of it happen with your father." Asuma explained with a smirk on his face. Naruto's eyes were wide.

"Geez man way to pile on the pressure." He turned to Tenzo. "I think I'm gonna go back to my tent now. Uh…that is my tent now right?" Tenzo and Asuma both laughed.

"Yes, that's your tent now. Go ahead, I'll introduce you to the rest of the men tomorrow." Naruto nodded and exited the tent. Asuma turned to Tenzo.

"You think he can do it?" Tenzo looked at the door for a while before looking back at Asuma.

"I think so. Kakashi obviously thinks so. He did just save the Leaf Village singlehandedly…" The son of the Third Hokage shrugged.

"If you say so. I guess I'm kinda excited to see if he's really that good. Watching Minato was always a treat." Tenzo nodded.

"Agreed. I always wanted to fight him…never got the chance." Asuma chuckled at that.

"Well now you have your chance. You'd even have an advantage over him if you think about it." Tenzo looked back at the tent flap.

"Actually…I don't think it would make a difference."

XxX

Naruto entered his tent and took a seat at the desk. He stared at the wooden surface for a minute before sighing.

"How the hell am I gonna pull this off…?" He looked up at the ceiling and shook his head. "Can't think like that. Just gotta do what I always do. Say fuck it and do something crazy." He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, then exhaled deeply, before his eyes snapped open and a smile crossed his face. "And this is going to be really fucking crazy."

XxX

**A/N: There you go. Newest update all done. Not really gonna talk about it, just enjoy it. Thanks for reading. Peace.**


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34:Prophecy

"Mount Myoboku? As in the sacred home of the Toads?" Naruto nodded at Tenzo's question.

"Yes. I can't really think of anyone who would have the info I'm looking for besides the Toads. They've been around a lot longer." Tenzo nodded at his explanation.

"Very well. But may I at least ask what your plan is?" Naruto smirked.

"I plan to create a seal that will transport our entire unit behind enemy lines and launch one all-out complete surprise attack." Naruto almost laughed at Tenzo's expression.

"Is that...possible?" Naruto just shrugged, furthering Tenzo's confusion.

"Dunno. But I'm gonna try. Anyway, just keep everything under control while I'm gone. I know it isn't very leaderish of me to just up and leave but this will give us a serious edge, and I know I can pull it off." Tenzo scrutinized the young General for a moment before nodding.

"Alright, you can count on me." Naruto flashed his signature grin at Tenzo before disappearing in a flash. Tenzo just shook his head.

"Are you trying to kill me Kakashi?"

XxX

A smile bubbled up to Naruto's face as he appeared in the land of the Toads, Mount Myoboku. Everything was as beautiful and vibrant as ever, and as the blonde took it all in a wave of nostalgia hit him. A few years ago he had pretty much been brought here by accident, and he ended up living here for an entire year to follow in his Uncle's footsteps. It had been extremely intense, and at times he had wanted nothing more than to take that stupid paddle and beat Fukasaku within an inch of his life with it, bt it all paid off in the end. According to Fukasaku, he had already surpassed Jiraiya in the Sage Arts, something he simply couldn't comprehend.

"Naruto! So you are here!" Naruo snapped out of his reverie to see Fukasaku hopping toward him. The blonde scratched his head.

"You knew I was coming?" The old toad came to a halt next to his former pupil and studied him intently.

"My my Naruto, you have grown quite powerful! I can feel it. And all will be explained if you follow me." Naruto's brow rose at the crytic explanation, but he followed nonetheless. He was lead into a great hall lined with stone statues of various toads. Each one was different, and Naruto figured that each of these toads had been extremely powerful at one point. When they reached the end of the hall a gigantic, old toad sat on a throne, his eyes closed as if he were sleeping.

"Ah, Naruto. You have arrived." Naruto was startled by the light, raspy voice, but he stood as tall as he could, which wasn't very tall at all comparatively.

"How did you know I was coming?" The old toad let out a deep chuckle.

"Always with the questions first. Just like Jiraiya." The old toad sucked in a large breath and exhaled it slowly. "VEry well. I have had a dream, a prophecy of sorts, involving you." The old toad paused to let his words sink in. "Years from now, when this conflict has been resolved, a deadly journey awaits you. Monsters of chakra, one of which resides in you, will combat you every step of the way. In the end, you will gain back that which you lost, but only if you can raise the moon."

Naruto felt a little bit overwhelmed. He had come here with the intention of building an impossible seal to give his men an advantage so they wouldn't die; something that weighed heavily on his conscious. But now, on top of that, the wisest and oldest Toad told him of a prophecy that definitely involved the Tailed Beasts. And as if that wasn't bad enough, the last part was so cryptic he might as well start searching on the moon. The only thing he could take solace in was the face thathe wouldn't have to deal with this until after the war, and even that was a big fuck-you to Naruto's life. All of these feelings and emotions played across Naruto's face like a slideshow, and the old toad chuckled.

"Do not despair Naruto. I will tell you what I told Jiraiya many years ago when he stood where you stand now. You are not bound to this prophecy. Rather, the prophecy is bound to you. You will see that as you make your own decisions, along with the forces that work against you, everything will fall into place. Only you are capable of accomplishing this task. Anyone else would fail." Naruto absorbed the wisdom of the toad, and a feeling of mild acceptance washed over him. He realized he would just have to be patient, lest he go insane.

"I just have one question." The toad nodded almost imperceptibly. "What was my Uncle's prophecy?" The old toad stroked his chin as if he were contemplating something, and a small grin stretched across his face.

"He was to train the child who would bring peace to the world." Naruto's eyes widened. He knew all of Jiraiya's students. And it couldn't have been his father, which left four.

'_Nagato?' _It made sense in his head, that the boy with the Rinnegan would be the man to bring peace to the world. Hell, Yahiko did say that Akatsuki's goal was to bring peace to the world. In a way he had hoped it was himself, but he didnt want to worry about that right now. He had enough on his plate.

"Thank you." The blonde quickly bowed and almost ran out, his demeanor reflecting his chaotic mind. Fukasaku followed closely.

"I must say...I wasn't expecting that." Fukasaku stated as the came to a stop outside of the hall. The great set of steps leading up to the hall loomed over Naruto like a shadow.

"I can't really say I was either. But I've been dealing with the Nine-Tails all of my life; I can handle it." Fukasaku shook his head at the boy's bravado.

"If anyone can, it's you." The toad hopped out in front of the blonde. "So, what brings you here Naruto?" The blonde had been staring out over the horizon when his gaze snapped to the toad and his eyes widened slightly.

"Right...I need help with a seal." Fukasaku saw a sudden determination ignite behind Naruto's eyes. His brow rose.

"Oh? I'm intrigued. Please explain."

"Well, I want to turn the Flying Thunder God Technique into a mass transportation technique." Naruto chuckled at the expression on Fukasaku's face. The old toad cleared his throat and shook his head.

"That will be quite a challenge. Do you think it can be done?" Naruto nodded.

"Definitely. But, that also depends on me." Fukasaku gave the boy a curious glance. "The only way for me to fuel this kind of technique is with a dangerous amount of the Nine-Tails chakra, in theory. There are so many different variable to account for that could end up being deadly." Naruto looked down at the ground while Fukasaku's face became serious.

"Then whatever help you need, you have." Naruto looked back up and smiled.

"Thank you Sensei." The blonde inhaled deeply, and when he exhaled he became serious. "I'll need to start working on changing my father's seal to make it compatible with my plan. I need you to dig up any books, scrolls, scraps of paper etc. on sealing Tailed Beasts, containing Tailed Beasts, absorbing Tailed Beast chakra, and really anything else with the words 'seal' and 'Tailed Beast' in it." Fukasaku nodded.

"I'll get right on it. Would you like to come back to the house? Shima would love to see you." Naruto shook his head.

"Not yet. I'm going to head over to the oil oasis. I'll be there in time for dinner." Fukasaku smiled and was off with a wave. naruto immediately headed for the oasis to begin his work. Damn his father for making such a complicated seal...

XxX

Nighttime on Mount Myoboku was just as breathtaking as daytime, maybe even more depending on your preference. Naruto figured Sasuke would like it. An ethereal, green glow lit up the dark purple sky, and bright, shining stars dotted the sky like sprinkles. The exotic fauna shimmered through the dark because of the moisture in the air, and it almost guided your way through the mountain.

Naruto was compltely engrossed in his seal for the third night in a row, and his progress was steady but slow. It had taken the first two days for Naruto to perfect the new seal for the Flying Thunder God Technique, and he used the word perfect loosely as it was untested. He had realized that there was no way to fit an entire army onto a single seal. So to fix that he had to create a four point seal that would affect the area between the four points. But on top of an area effect seal, he had to create a remote activation seal that would activate all of the point seals at once. And then instead of using a second four point seal at the drop point, he just created one seal, which while easier to apply, it required a space expansion seal, something he hoped to never deal with again. And of course tying all of these together with his father's seal was just an S-Rank mission in itself. He was honestly surprised he hadn't been sent to another dimension. Yet.

The funniest part, well funny to Naruto at least, was that he hadn't even started fucking around with the dangerous stuff. Fukasaku had dug him up a hefty amount of any and all things related to sealing and Tailed Beasts. Naruto was relieved he was right about the toads having way more information than any human. To Naruto, this was a gold mine of info, and if time wasn't an issue, he would have taken the time to memorize everything. He could benefit the most after all.

As he flipped through the documents, a folded up piece of paper fell from one of the book. He picked it off of his lap and opened it up, revealing something interesting.

_Catastrophic Planetary Devastation_

It was an interesting name for sure, but other than that there was no information about the technique. The only other thing on the page was a picture of the moon with what looked like a Rinnegan eye in the center. At the bottom there was a scribble of words, although Naruto recognized none of the characters.

"_In the end you will gain back that which you lost, but only if you can raise the moon."_

Naruto remembered the words from his prophecy, and he decided that whatever this technique was, it was important. He folded it back up and slipped it in his pocket. He couldn't be sure, but he really hoped Nagato would know something about it. Otherwise it was just another obstacle for him to beat.

XxX

To Naruto, it was almost comical to see the ten largest toads on Mount Myoboku, barring the Great Toad Sage of course, lined up across a two mile radius. He couldn't see all of them, but the ones he could see were glaring at him in a don't-fuck-this-up-or-you-will-know-one-thousand-years-of-pain kind of way. Especially Gamakichi, who was verbally sharing his opinions.

"Fuck this I'm no guinea pig! How do you expect to pull this off anyway? I swear if I end up dead my battleaxe is going so far up your ass Jiraiya will feel it in heaven!" Naruto was trying to hold back his laughter, he really was, but Gamakichi was just too damn funny. "And so help me god if that fox's chakra comes near me..." Naruto flashed on top of Gamakichi's head and stamoed down hard enough to make the toad flinch. "Ow! Fuck you!"

"Will you shut up? It's going to work. I've accounted for everything." Naruto felt surprisingly confident, much more so than the toads. But after a week and a half of tweaking, reading, nitpicking, burning himself and cutting himself, he could say he was damn proud of this seal. In addition to his father's improved seal was what he liked to call a Youkai Hentai seal, because the demon chakra that he used would get fucked from every possible angle. The biggest problem that Naruto had forseen with this seal was the effect of the demon chakra on his men. He had been exposed to ludicrous amounts over the years, but to a normal person even the slightest dose could kill them. So in order to protect his mean he created a triple layer seal that was like an airtight vacuum seal for his chakra. First, the demon chakra containment seal created a specific path for his chakra to take to activate the seal, which helped to keep the chakra from running wild. Next the demon chakra barrier seal formed a barrier around his men to protect them from any stray chakra that might get out. Finally, the demon chakra absorption seal would drain away all of the chakra used, erasing any potential problems after the technique was complete. It would also serve to make sure no one could sense the explosion of demon chakra that he would surely need. And to tie them all together, all he had needed was a copious amount of his own blood, which had left him woozy.

"I don't believe you." Gamakichi mumbled.

"Well then get ready to die." Gamakichi yelped in surprise but Naruto flashed away to the drop point, where Fukasaku was waiting.

"Ready my boy?" Naruto gave no answer as he pulled the receiving seal out of his pocket and unfurled it. He placed it on the ground and knelt down next to it, closing his eyes. He focused on the feeling of the fox's chakra, bringing to the surface and making it stronger. When he felt the power easily flow through him, and much more than he intended to bring out, he was more than surprised. Because the usual murderous emotions were absent this time.

"Naruto..." The blonde ignored the old toad's awed whisper and instead focused on traveling to his mind. He heard a sinister growl and his eyes opened.

"Why so surprised?" The fox questioned darkly.

"Why does this feel different? Why can I control your chakra so easily?" The Nine-Tails chuckled in amusment.

"I've simply withdrawn my emotional influence. Be grateful mortal, for you are the only creature to ever experience this priviledge." Naruto was actually stunned. The fox was being...helpful?

"Why?" It was the only word that made sense to Naruto at that moment, because nothing else did.

"Why you say? Because I was right, and the toads have confirmed it. You have great potential, and I will not waste that." Naruto's eyes widened.

"What do you-" He was quickly silenced by a viscious roar.

"No more questions. You will learn after your petty squabble with your fellow mortals. Just know that my chakra is yours to command." With that he was thrown back into the real world not a moment after he left. Without a second though he channeled an insane amount of the fox's chakra, an amount that would hurt even him, and the results were astounding. An explosion of power erupted from the blonde, knocking Fukasaku back more than a few yards. When the old toad recovered, he could only stare at Naruto in astonishment. The blonde was surrounded by a beautiful, golden cloak of chakra; brighter than his hair. Nine majestic tails of pure chakra gallantly waved in the wind behind him, ruffling his cloak. The pure power that radiated off of him was so immense that Fukasaku felt like he would go blind just looking at him, and that barely made sense. Naruto looked at Fukasaku apologetically.

"Don't worry about me boy. Go on." Naruto nodded and flew through hundreds of hand seals before Fukasaku could even breathe.

"Mass Flying Thunder God Technique!" There was a great orange flash, as if the sun had descended on the mountain that day, and then an even brighter smile crossed Naruto's face. There in front of him were the ten largest toads on Mount Myoboku, all without debilitating injury. Success.

"How you feelin' Gamakichi?" Naruto asked, letting the Nine-Tails chakra recede. The toad muttered something about 'just dandy' causing Naruto to smile wider.

"Then it works." He turned to Fukasaku. "Thank you for everything, but it's about time I get going. My men are probably wondering where the hell their fearless leader is."

"Fearless my a-" Naruto was gone before Gamakichi could finish, so the axe wielding toad grumbled some more and walked away, leaving Fukasaku to stare at the spot his pupil had lst stood.

"That boy..."

XxX

Tenzo was getting worried. Naruto had been gone for over a week and a half and the front was starting to become volatile. Not to mention the men were restless. If he wasn't back soon...

"I see you've kept everything under control." Tenzo whipped around to see the young General standing there as if he had been for hours.

"General, you've returned." The blonde nodded.

"Yea, but not for long. Rouse the men, we move out for the border at sunset." Tenzo seemed surprised.

"So soon after you're back?" Naruto nodded and pulled out four slips of paper with seals on them.

"No better time. Your orders are to assemble the men between these four seals. I can't really stress how important it is that everyone is inside the area, or they will die a horrible death by way of demon chakra, which is probably extremely unpleasant. There's really no time to explain but just trust me. Also make sure they know what's going on. My father's technique can be a little disorienting." Tenzo nodded at all this.

"Okay. But what about you?" The second in command asked.

"I'll be sneaking by the enemy to ready the drop point. I'll most likely be ready by sunset, but just incase..." He pulled out on of his orange handled kunai and handed it to Tenzo. As soon as it left his hand he was gone in a flash of orange, and Tenzo quickly exited the tent to fulfill his orders. He just hoped this ridiculous plan had a shot at working.

XxX

"So, Naruto is in charge of the Northeastern Front now..." Yahiko mused aloud. "I'm not sure whether I should be proud or disappointed. Especially after what he did to the Rock battalion."

"You'll know soon enough when the next ridiculous tale of his exploits reaches us." Shikamaru drawled with a grin. "I really wouldn't be surprised if the Cloud contingent on the border was gone tomorrow."

"Bold prediction." Konan stated icily. SHikamaru shrugged.'

"It's not really a prediction. It's more along the lines of 'the next impossible thing Naruto pulls out of his ass'." Sasuke only chuckled at that, showing that he agreed. "Sasuke and I made a game out of it awhile ago, but honestly it always seems like both of us lose."

"Isn't it wrong to joke about your teammate like that?" Nagato questioned, to which Shikamaru chuckled.

"You haven't known Naruto for as long as I have. When he was four he scared off the assassins that killed his Uncle, with the help of the Nine-Tails of course. SInce then he's just been raising the bar. Kakashi, Sasuke and I have come to the conclusion that Naruto is insane, but he makes it work. I've never seen someone with so much disregard for their own health. I'm not sure if he welcomes death, but he's definitely not scared of it." The Nara explained. Nagato's eyes widened.

"That's...morbid." Yahiko cleared his throat.

"Then let's end with that. We still have work to-" Yahiko couldn't finish his sentence because there was a great explosion that rocked the village, followed by six or seven more. Each of the leaders were outside instantly, and a groan escaped Shikamaru's lips.

"That's not what I think it is, is it?" Sasuke asked as he fingered the hilt of his sword. Yahiko, Nagato and Konan all dropped into battle stances and Shikamaru sighed.

"Yea. That's Hidden fucking Rock's Jinchuriki."

XxX

As tempting as it was to just forget about the war and laze about in a hot spring for a few hours, Naruto banished the thought the second it entered his mind. He needed to focus. Sneaking past an entire enemy camp was one thing, but with chakra reserves that practically shouted 'Here I am!' it was another.

When the camp was in his sights his pace quickened. He glanced at the sun, which had already dipped about halfway below the horizon, and he cursed. There was no time for stealth now, so it was time for Plan B. He pulled one of his special kunai out and flung it as hard as he could with the help of wind chakra over the enemy camp, and after a minute he honed in on it and teleported there instantly. It wasn't the most ideal spot for the technique, but it would work nonetheless. He set up the seal, and as the last ray of light disappared behind the horizon, the entire Leaf battalion appeared in the clearing. Most of the men were highly confused, but they stayed silent. Good.

"Listen up. Right now were about two miles north of the border to the Land of Lightning. The enemy camp is about a mile south from where we are right now. Which means we don't have time to kill. I don't know if any of the could feel that or not, but I don't wanna find out either. Form up and move out, you'll know when to attack." The men obeyed and Naruto flashed away, leaving Tenzo to lead the men. He doubled back to the enemy camp and infiltrated quietly, waiting a few minutes for his men to arrive and get ready. When he felt the time was right, he made his presence known.

"Summoning Technique!"

"What's up motherfuckers!" Gamakichi's enthusiastic shout startled everyone in the camp, and they all paled at what they saw. On top of the giant toad was the man who destroyed a battalion of ten-thousand by himself. And around him and his giant toad were about a thousand Shadow Clones, all ready to annihilate anything in their way. When the rest of the Leaf ninja stormed the camp, the Cloud ninja could literally do nothing but stare in shock. The outer layer of the camp was gone in a second; up in the flames of a combination fire attack. Giant roots sprouted from the ground, skewering enemies and destroying tents courtesy of Tenzo. The Cloud ninja were dropping like flies and Naruto felt the feeling of disgust fester in his stomach. He could sense Gamakichi about to join in when he stamped on his head, stopping him.

"Ow! I swear to fucking-"

"ENOUGH!" SIlence fell over the battlefield and everyone stopped what they were doing. The Cloud ninja were just thankful for the moment of respite, although it didn't do them much good at this point. But no one dared move. "I'll give the rest of you a chance to surrender peacefully and keep your lives." You've seen three-quarters of your comrades annihilated in seconds, don't add to it." He knew they wouldn't give up, hell he wouldn't if he were in their shoes. But he had to try. He had to.

"Fuck you!" Blue eyes darted to the source of the insult, a Cloud Jonin that looked neither green nor veteran. Naruto was in front of him immediately, and he gave the man credit for not flinching.

"That's uncalled for." The Cloud Jonin gave him an incredulous look. "Let me ask you a question." Now the Cloud ninja was downright baffled. "What makes you and I different? Are we not both shinobi fighting for our respective villages in the name of honor or death or whatever you believe? Do we not both have friends and lovers who will kill and be killed during this conflict?" Now the enemy Jonin was paying rapt attention, listening to every word. He didn't understand...but this kid was making a lot of sense. "I don't enjoy killing. i have no desire to add to hell. So please, give up. I promise no harm will befall you or your comrades." It was tense for a few moments as the Cloud Jonin pondered Naruto's words. The rest of the Cloud ninja watched with great interest, wondering if they would all die today. Finally, there was a thud as the man's weapon pouch hit the ground, and soon many more followed. Naruto smiled at the man. "Thank you." He amplified his voice once more. "Restrain the rest of the Cloud ninja peacefully. If I hear about any kind of mistreatment I'm testing a new technique on you, which will more than likely result in your death." He paused to let that sink in. "Tenzo I need to speak with you." He fel a little weird announcing that, but at this point he didn't care. Today was an overwhelming victory, and that was all that mattered. Offering surrender had never been a part of the plan, but after he had seen half of them go up in flames...it was just too much.

"You called General?" Naruto turned his head to see his faithful second-in-command approaching.

"Yes. First I need you to round up about thirty of the men you trust the most. Then I need you to make a few barracks for the prisoners. You can do that kind of thing right?" The blonde asked as he scratched his head. Tenzo paled slightly.

"Well, yes, but not everyone has chakra reserves like you sir." Naruto cracked a smile.

"Then you have permission to pass the fuck out afterwards." Tenzo just sighed and carried on.

XxX

"Sir, we just got word from the Western Front." A random Chuunin stated after he had rushed into Kakashi's office.

"It can wait. I'll be leaving for that front tonight."

"It's quite urgent sir." Kakashi sighed. He hated when his suboordinates told him things. It should be the other way around. All he wanted was just a little time to read his book.

"Very well. Go on." The Chuunin nodded and gulped.

"Yes sir. An immediate request for assistance has been issued by one Shikamaru Nara in the Stone Village. They're going up against a Jinchuriki sir." Kakashi's eye widened briefly. He stood.

"I see. Change of plans. I'm leaving now. You," he pointed at Gaara, "are coming with me." He looked over at Leviathan and Shintojo. "You two should return to your villages. There's no need for us to stay here anymore." He was met with a nod from everyone.

"I shall return to Hidden Grass. From there we will continue the assault." Shintojo stated.

"And I will accompany you. My duty is next to my commanders." Itachi stated, and Kakashi wasn't sure if there was a double meaning there or not.

"Good, then there's no time to dilly dally. Let's move."

XxX

Extra Content: Hanzo vs Akatsuki

"You seem to be stuck in quite the predicament." Nagato gritted his teeth as Hanzo glared at him smugly. Why they had been so stupid as to trust Hanzo, he wasn't sure, but he was sure that he would rip this man limb from limb. It had all happened so fast too. One moment he had been reaching out to shake Hanzo's hand, and the next there was a kunai to Konan's throat and about 150 masked ninja surrounding them.

"Hanzo you fucking bastard..." Yahiko muttered under his breath.

"You were too trusting. Naive little children like yourselves shouldn't be fighting in wars. Leave that to the real ninja." Nagato leveled Hanzo with a glare, causing him to flinch ever-so-slightly. "You're Rinnegan does not scare me boy." Nagato could feel the anger rushing through his veins like blistering fire. He watched a trickle of blood drip from Konan's neck, and he could take it no more.

"Then you will learn to fear it!" Faster than Hanzo had ever seen, Nagato was in his face, Rinnegan eyes bulging madly. Hanzo froze, and Nagato was easily able to grab Konan from his grip. "Almighty Push!" Hanzo was sent rocketing backwards like a bullet, out of the fight for now. Nagato placed Konan on her feet and flashed through hand signs. "Fire Style: Fire Dragon Invasion!" Hundreds of swirling fire dragons ascended into the sky and merged together to form one mega fire dragon before splitting once more and homing in on the mass of enemies. Piercing cries of pain echoed over the squelching flames, and the smell of cooked flesh permeated for a mile. When the flames cleared, the entirety of Akatsuki stood behind Yahiko. Only about twenty something of the masked ninja remained, plus Hanzo, whose arm hung limply at his side.

"You're the naive one Hanzo, for underestimating us." Yahiko stated. "And for that you will pay with your life."

"Don't get cocky brat!" Hazno roared in fury. "You haven't seen real power!" With a pained wince he flashed through hand seals. "Smmoning Technique!" A large, purple, eyeless salamander burst up from underground and spat a murky, purple liquid at Akatsuki, but Nagato pushed it away without a second thought. The red head searched the battleground for Hanzo, but he realized that the old man had fled.

"Coward..." Rage pushed Nagato over the brink and in the blink of an eye the rest of the masked ninja were dead with slits in their throats. A spiraling tower of flames sprouted up around the salamander and incinerated it instantly, leaving only Nagato as the flames died out. "He ran." Nagato stated with an empty tone after a few moments of silence. Yahiko appoached his friend and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Then the chase begins."

XxX

**A/N: Well it's been awhile. So the trial version of MS Word that i have expired, leaving me with no way to write. I wrote this on google docs, and I'm gonna see if I can't just keep doing this. Hopefully it works. Chapter 35 is already written, so if i have enough time at school tomorrow I'll probably get that done too. Depends if i feel like failing or not.**

**I brought the extra content back, which i had forgot about for awhile. I still need more ideas or that, so if theres anything you want to see explained, or just anything extra please tell me. I need one for the next chapter so that would be helpful. Anyway thanks for sticking with this even thought I'm kinda bullshitting my way through it. I will finish, and there will still be a sequel so I'm not giving up. It's just a matter of making time. Hope you guys enjoyed. Peace.**


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35: The Other Side of the Jinchuriki

"Fucking tits!" If they hadn't been fighting for their lives at that moment, Sasuke would have shot Shikamaru a very strange look, but as it was he couldn't take his eyes off of the raging Jinchuriki in front of him. Sasuke wasn't sure how long ago they had sent that Jonin back to the Leaf VIllage to inform Kakashi, but it felt like days. And knowing Kakashi it would be even longer...which was the last thing he needed right now.

The start of the battle had been an extreme failure for the Leaf and Rain ninja. Shikamaru had overestimated the strength of his shadow tendrils, which he realized when the Jinchuriki snapped them like wet paper. He had a broken arm to show for that. Konan was lying somewhere beneath the rubble of the village due to Shikamaru's failed restraint, and Yahiko had followed right after in an uncharacteristic fit of emotion. Now only Sasuke, Shikamaru and Nagato remained.

"Nagato move!" The red head needed no warning as he spotted the napalm blast of lava heading straight for his face. The fact that this Jinchuriki had control of the Lava Style didn't help at all, and Sasuke could only think of one way to try and counter it. As he dashed in towards the Jinchuriki once more, his eyes morphed into a different pattern. He didn't draw his swords, mostly out of fear of them breaking, instead choosing to stick with his original technique. The Jinchuriki, who had long descended into his second form, used his chakra covered arms to bat the lightning blades aside like styrofoam. Sasuke jumped back as a stream of lava erupted from the Jinchuriki's mouth, and the Uchiha decided to test his theory. "Amaterasu!" Black flames surged forward and crashed into the stream of lava, causing it to splash in every direction and dissipate. Nagato suddenly appeared behind the enemy in the air with his palms directed at the beast of a man.

"Almighty Push!" A booming roar erupted from the Jinchuriki as he was pushed beneath a mauntain of rubble. The Earth caved in on itself, causing an avalanche of rocks to fall into the newly made chasm. It was silent for a moment.

"Did we get him?" Sasuke asked, breaking the silence. Shikamaru gave him a look that said don't-ask-stupid-questions as the mountain of rubble blew high into the sky along with a torrent of lava, giving the visual appearance of a real volcano. Nagato quickly jumped away to rescue his two teammates while Sasuke and Shikamaru took refuge on one of the few remaining rooftops.

"This village is going to be fucked up after this..." Shikamaru muttered as he surveyed the unrecognizable village. Sasuke grunted.

"How long until Kakashi arrives?" The Uchiha asked, closing his eyes as they shifted back to the normal Sharingan.

"If he's going as fast as he can...maybe another half a day." Sasuke sighed in response.

"Great...I hope you have a lot of soldier pills.

XxX

The trees that made up the forest of the Land of Fire were a blur as Kakashi and his band of reinforcements blazed a tail towards Hidden Stone; or what was left of it anyway. Kakashi had no idea if he would even make it before it was too late, but he had to try. He suddenly felt one of his followers stop, so he landed and turned around impatiently.

"We don't have time to-"

"I can feel it." Gaara interrupted. "The Jinchuriki is using all of its tails. That village will be gone if yoru students can't hold on." Kakashi turned and jumped away at that point, not wanting to waste any more time. He knew what was at stake, and this was one team he didn't plan on losing.

XxX

Naruto was definitely impressed with Tenzo's work. The barracks were more like townhouses, and they were as tall as the trees around them. Much nicer than a shoddy tent, which is why the barrack were located on the other side of the camp in a hidden clearing. He didn't want to give his men a reason to act up.

The thirty ANBU guarding the houses did nothing as Naruto walked by them and into the middle house, announcing his presence by slamming the door. He waited for a moment before one of the prisoners, a Chuunin, rounded to corner out of curiosity.

"You. Come here." The Chuunin realized his mistake as soon as he saw who was at the door, but he had no choice but to obey. The Chuunin shuffled up to him slowly, bringing a smirk to Naruto's face. "Get your leader. If they're dead get the highest ranking guy here." Relieved to be dismissed, the prisoner scurried up the stairs to find him commander. Naruto was admiring one of the chakra suppression seals on the wall, that he made obviously, when he heard feet on the steps behind him. He turned around to see a girl with neat blonde hair and, Naruto had to stop himself from double-taking, giant cans.

"What is it?" He noticed the icy tone and icier stare. She clearly did not like him.

"I was just wondering if you've had any problems. If you have any injured I can send over a medic, or if you're being harassed I can crack some skulls." She didn't seem amused. In fact, she seemed insulted, although Naruto could understand why.

"Why don't you just kill us?" She suddenly blurted out, causing her to wince slightly. He sighed.

"Do you know who I am?" She actually laughed at that.

"Depends on what you mean by know. I know the rumors of the man who destroyed a battalion of Rock ninja ten thousand strong. I don't know if it's true though." She stared hard into his eyes, analyzing him for any sign of an answer to her indirect question, but he gave away nothing.

"Believe what you will. Point is I'm tired of killing. I saw no reason to finish what I started with your unit." He answered quietly, turning away.

"Then why not let us go?" She questioned. Naruto swore he heard a hint of hopefulness in her voice.

"Can't dp that. I need the world to think you're dead. If I can pull off one miracle after another, maybe I can dissuade the other villages from continuing this war." She stared at the back of his head with a mix of confusion, disgust and...admiration. This man made no sense in any sense of the word and yet..

"You are a pitiful excuse for a ninja." He whipped around to see that she had gotten closer.

"Yeah...but it's all I know. I could never be anything else. And what does that make you then?" She faintly smirked as she took a step closer, her breath tickling his chin. Her lips met his in the next moment, and he went along with it. But he knew her intentions, and as soon as he felt her arm shift he flashed behind her and pinned her up against the wall. He took the loosely gripped kunai out of her hand and pocketed it before backing off. "Really? That was your plan?" His tone was playful; he didn't really blame her for trying, although it still stung a bit. EIther way, his men would have to start searching the prisoners better.

"Had to try." She muttered as she avoided his gaze. He chuckled.

"I guess you're just unlucky. That would never work on me." WIth that he strode out of the barrack, leaving the blonde woman with much to think about.

XxX

Shikamaru felt like throwing up.

Five hours. Five hours he had been fighting this Jinchuriki, popping soldier pill after soldier pill after soldier pill after soldier pill...if the Jinchuriki didn't kill him his body might just shut down out of spite anyway.

But he had to press on.

"Shadow Stalking Panther Technique." The Nara's hands came together and three panthers of shadow emerged from his own and charged at the Jinchuriki. Or tried to. "Fuck." The panthers suddenly dissipated as Shikamaru collapsed.

"Shikamaru what the fuck are you doing!" Sasuke shouted as he shot thousands of tiny lightning senbons at the Jinchuriki. They most likely felt like a light drizzle to it, but it was a distraction if there ever was one.

"Troublesome..." The Nara muttered before passing out. Nagato retrieved his body and placed it with Yahiko and Konan's before rejoining Sasuke, who was panting heavily.

"Right now would be a great time for you to pull some crazy Rinnegan shit out of your ass." Nagato rolled his eyes.

"It doesn't always work like that. I can't just bring everyone back to life like this is some kind of sick joke." Sasuke chuckled. "Where is your Hokage?" The Uchiha grunted.

"He has a pension for being late." Nagato had no time to respond as a giant fist came crashing down between them, creating a large crater where they had stood. They both jumped away from each other, putting the Jinchuriki between them. They both started flying through hand seals.

"Water Style: Waterspout!"

"Lightning STyle: Illumination!" A torrent of water swirled up around the Jinchuriki high into the air, creating a tornado of water and trapping the beast. Then, powered up by the water, a pyramid of electricity formed around the Jinchuriki and zapped him violently. When the techniques subsided the Jinchuriki hunched over, his body smoldering from the attack. It was panting heavily, and it seemed subdued for the moment. Sasuke suddenly collapsed to one knee, and the Jinchuriki's head snapped up as he let out a feral roar before blasting off like a rocket towards Sasuke. The Uchiha only watched as in the blink of an eye there was a giant, searing red fist in his face. He closed his eyes and waited for his head to become a decoration for the ground, but the pain never came. He opened his eyes to see multiple tendrils of sand wrapped around the outstretched appendage. He smiled.

"Sorry I'm late." He felt the familiar hand on his shoulder and he found the energy to stand.

"I've learned to expect it." The Hokage chuckled and looked around.

"Where's Nara?"

"Passed out like a bitch."

"He faking it?"

"Definitely not." Kakashi nodded.

"Right. Well, Gaara, your brother and I can take it from here." As he said that, the fiery red skin of chakra melted away from the Jinchuriki, leaving and older man with a gray goatee.

"Not today. I'm done here. The old bastard never said anything about the Hokage and another Jinchuriki. Those three were bad enough." He stated gruffly, referring to Nagato, Sasuke and Shikamaru. "You win today, but next time your good fortune will come to an end." The Leaf, Rain and Sand ninja all shot each other looks as the subdued Jinchuriki left the ruined village behind. It stayed silent.

"...I'll take it." Kakashi suddenly announced. "We need a status report ASAP. Who knows what's left after..." he looked out over the destroyed village and motioned towards it, "...this."

XxX

"He's...what?" Shikamaru just stared at Gaara as the red head was delivered news in the form of a nuke. He felt bad for the kid, he really did. But at the same time it was the first time in awhile he had seen Temari, and he was basking in the feeling of being close to her, so he couldn't feel that bad. Still...

"I'm sorry Gaara, but Sensei is dead." Kankuro stated, his voice melancholy. "He was in one of the buildings that were completely obliterated at the start of the attack. Temari and I were lucky he sent us on a few errands..." The red head looked down, not really knowing how to feel.

"But that's not all." Temari interrupted. "Before the invasion, our invasion, of Hidden Stone, he gave both Kankuro and I a copy of this." She pulled an ornate looking scroll out of her weapons pouch; the seal of the Kazekage was emblazoned proudly on the front. "It's for you." Gaara looked up and slowly accepted the scroll, unraveling it like it would burst into flames at the slightest touch. He read it once, twice, and finally a third time before rolling it up and slipping it in his robe. He turned to leave, and Temar stomped her foot on the ground in impatience. "Wait! WHat the hell did it say?" Gaara turned back around, sporting his usual emotionless mask.

"I have much to do as the Sixth Kazekage." He left after that, leaving the rest of the room in shock. Except for Shikamaru.

"Damn, that's rough."

XxX

"I see. I'm sorry to hear that." Kakashi replied solemnly as Gaara informed him of Sasori's death. "So what does this mean for Hidden Sand?" He asked, expecting to hear of Sand's retreat.

"I will lead the Hidden Sand in his place." Kakashi nodded.

"I understand. You-" He blinked "-wait, what?"

"I am the Sixth Kazekage." Kakashi's single eye widened.

"Wow...all of these young kids are out to make me look bad." The silver-haired man scratched his head. "Alright then. Well, if you need anything Gaara, please let me know. I know how hard it is to fill the role of Kage." The red head nodded in what he thought was appreciation.

"Thank you. I'm sure I will seek you out at some point." Kakashi was mildly surprised Gaara accepted his offer. But then again, the younger generation had always been just a tad more trusting than his. He just wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"The first thing I suggest you do is address your men. With Sasori dead, morale will be low. You must show them that you can take his place." Kakashi suggested, to which Gaara nodded.

"Then I shall do just that." He exited the tent after that, and Kakashi could only shake his head.

"Naruto is gonna be pissed..."

XxX

Gaara would be the first to admit that he outright sucked at talking to people. Temari and Kankuro were always telling him he was getting better, but better wasn't good enough. Not to lead an army. In other words, he had absolutely no idea what to say to his mean when it counted the most. He decided to wing it, figuring that Naruto would do the same.

"Excuse me." He stood at the center of the largest fire pit, as there were no fires burning at the moment. Leaf, Rain, Grass and Sand ninja milled around the makeshift encampment, either trying to retain a semblance of normalcy or running many errands, but none lent their ears to Gaara. So, a giant structure of sand shaped like Shukaku's head rose from the ground under Gaara, gaining the attention of everyone in the camp. Gaara wondered if that was a subtle as he hoped. "Excuse me." He said again, now with every eye in the camp on him. "Many of you have heard of my Sensei's death." He paused, searching for something to say. "Sadness is an emotion I am unfamiliar with, but if this squeezing of my heart is sadness, then I hope none of you feel the same as I do. It...hurts." Most of the Sand ninja watching were completely baffled by this side of Gaara, while the rest of the allied ninja were paying rapt attention. "This kind of pain can't be fought. I can't wrap it up in sand and pulverise it. This kind of pain can only be beaten by one thing. Something I learned recently. Friendship." Most of the Sand ninja were pinching themselves at this point; there was even a shout of 'release!', which Gaara would have laughed at if he had a sense of humor. "S while we fight this war, together, we can fight sadness too. And as your Kazekage I will fight alongside every single one of you." That got a bunch of surprised reactions. But after the surprise, his announcement was met with cheers. First it was just the Sand ninja, but eventually everyone joined in. Gaara scanned the crowd speechlessly as they cheered for him. Maybe his Sensei had been right to have faith in him.

"Thank you..." The last part was whispered to himself, and a small smile crossed his face, Shukaku's head sank back into the ground, and immediately Gaara was mobbed by his comrades, well, subordinates now.

And for once, Gaara felt truly happy.

XxX

"Sir, one of the scout teams has returned." Tenzo stated as Naruto read over a scroll.

"Send em in." Tenzo nodded and retrieved two Leaf ninja, a Hyuuga and an Inuzuka. "Report." The Hyuuga man stepped forward.

"Our route took us up North towards the coast, where she smelled massive amounts of iron on the air." He motioned to the Inuzuka. "With my Byakugan I discovered a large battalion of Cloud ninja posted on a set of island right off of the coast. They seemed ready to move out soon." The blonde General nodded slowly at the explanation.

"From what you saw, what do you think their next move is?" He asked quickly.

"Well, I did spot a few ships as well. They could possibly sail down the coast and hit us from our flank." The Hyuuga surmised.

"Yea, that's what I would do too. Okay, good work. Dismissed." The two scouts exited the tent, leaving only Naruto and Tenzo.

"We can expect a counter-attack soon." Tenzo stated.

"I don't plan on letting that happen. Rouse the men, we're marching." Tenzo gave his General an odd look.

"Sir?"

"We need to keep them on their toes. If we keep moving, we can meet them on the coast halfway between here and HIdden Cloud. We'll catch them on their ships and destroy them before they can reach us." Naruto explained, earning a nod from Tenzo. "Also find me that Hyuuga boy. He'll be with me." Tenzo was gone after that, ready to carry out his orders.

The sooner this was over the better.

XxX

"There they are. Three ships, all flying the Cloud banner. They must not know we started marching, because they're staying on course." That was a good thing in Naruto's opinion. That meant he could take out all of the ships before they noticed.

"Good. What's your name again?" Naruto asked the Hyuuga.

"Yoku sir. We actually were in the same Academy class when you first started." Naruto's eyes shot wide open, and suddenly a memory of him kicking a Hyuuga boy to the ground played in front of him.

"You were my first sparring partner..." Yoku laughed at that.

"Yea. I remember Iruka wouldn't let any of us fight you after that. Damn, it seems like so long ago." Naruto was lost in thought. That memory had brought with it a slew of others that assaulted his brain; like a chain reaction in his head. He frowned slightly.

"When did we lose sight of what mattered?" He said suddenly, causing Yoku to don a similar expression. Naruto turned to Yoku. "Good work Yoku. Go join up with the rest of the men and tell Tenzo to attack on my signal. He'll know the signal." Yoku nodded and flickered away while Naruto took in a deep breath. The blonde focused on the sailing ships, making sure his aim was right. A low whirring sound whirled up around Naruto s a white ball of energy formed in his hand. It sudden;y expanded, sprouting four shuriken-like appendages, and the low whir turned into a high screech. He hurled the Rasenshuriken towards the fleet, and in quick succession it sliced through all of the masts of the ships, severing their only form of power. Naruto then appeared on the deck of the largest ship, bringng the sudden uproar to halt. Each Cloud shinobi glared at Naruto as he calmly leaned on the now broken mast. "Well? You're not just going to stand there are you?" One of the Cloud ninja, a young dark-skinned man with red hair, drew his sword and let out a battle cry.

"Hold!" The red head stumbled a bit and looked around as another dark-skinned man with blonde hair walked out of the crowd. Naruto locked eyes with the man, and the blonde could tell he was strong. Only Shikamaru had ever stared at him with that kind of indifference. "Pretty ballsy move to attack us by yourself. Feeling confident today?" As he said that, a wave of battle cries crashed over the ship, and Naruto smirked.

"Not quite." The Cloud ninja's eyes widened as Naruto's battalion charged across the water as one.

"I see. Well then, what do you say we take this fight somewhere else. I have a feeling a guy like you needs a lot of space." He disappeared then, but Naruto could feel him on the surface of the ocean not far from the ship. Naruto was a little disappointed they were on different sides; so far he kinda liked the guy. In a brilliant orange flash, Naruto was standing across from the Cloud ninja while the battle on the ship raged in the background. "I wasn't sure at first, but now I'm positive. You're Naruto Namikaze right?" Naruto didn't feel the need to answer. The Cloud ninja chuckled. "Eh, just my luck." He slowly pulled a wide, flat cleaver off of his back. "The name's Darui. I was right to separate you from my men. At least this way only I'll probably die." Naruto's eyes widened, but Darui was in front of him in a moment with his cleaver ready to decapitate. Naruto danced wildly atround each slash, kicking up water as he did. Darui's attacks became fiercer,and his blade exploded with electricity, but Naruto was still able to weave around each strike thanks to training with Sasuke. The Cloud ninja backed off finally, realizing that Naruto was just too fast, and he started flashing through hand seals. "Cloud Style: FLash Comet Barrage!" Five copies of Darui appeared around Naruto, each pulsing with vibrant, golden electricity. The copies converged on him, giving him no route of escape but up. Naruto looked up just in time to see the real Darui falling toward him, sword outstretched. There was an explosion of electricity as Darui crashed down on the surface of the water; his clones easily destroyed in the blast. When Darui ros to his feet, he felt Naruto standing behind him. He turned to see the blonde as flawless as before.

"Why are you holding back?" Naruto asked suddenly. Darui just shrugged.

"I could ask the same of you. But then again I probably already know the answer. You're not my enemy, we're just on different sides. I'm sure under different circumstances, you and I could be friends." He sheathed his sword on his back and cracked his knuckles. Naruto was surprised there was another ninja who thought the same way he did. If he wasn't the only one sick of fighting...

"Then why are we fighting?" Naruto asked. "Why is Hidden Cloud even in this war?" Darui just shook his head.

"Forget I said anything. Cloud will deal with its own problems. Now it's time to get serious." Darui's face changed from jovial to focused in an instant. Naruto wished he could have talked to Darui more, but he was past the point of listening. There was a loud pop as Naruto's Gale Armor roared to life around him, and Darui smirked. "Nice trick. Wonder where you got the idea?" Before Darui could even laugh at his own joke, Naruto was behind him with a kunai pressed hard against his jugular.

"Yea, but I don't need it to beat you. Now, tell me more about these problems." The shock on Darui's face was clear. "Stop looking at me like I have three heads and talk!" The pressure on the kunai increased but Darui didn't flinch.

"The only problem you should worry about right now is me." Darui ran his neck along the edge of the kunai, slitting his throat and spewing a fountain of blood into the air.. Of course, when the body erupted with electricity, Naruto realized his folly as an image of Kakashi popped into his head.

"Damn Lightning Clones." He grumbled as he shook off the weakened effect thanks to his armor. The dark-skinned man rose from the water in front of Naruto on the head of a Water Dragon Missile; his hands were a blur as he readied another technique. "Storm Style: Typhoon Arrow!" As the dragon made another pass at Naruto, Darui held his arm out straight and shot a beam of crackling energy at Naruto, who even with his Gale Armor was blown back like a skipping rock. As he slid across the water and slowly recovered, the only thing that registered in his mind was pain.

"Fucking bloodlines..." He cursed as he spat a wad of mucus and blood into the water, dying it a murky brown. He cringed.

"Storm Style: Nimbus Trap!" Naruto's eyes narrowed as a cloud of thick, black fog formed around him, and he crouched a little lower. Suddenly, millions of volts of electricity surged through his body, and even with the armor he couldn't help but let out a cry of pain. On the outside Darui watched as the small, compact nimbus cloud electrified Naruto. After a few moments the cloud dissipated and Naruto fell to a knee.

"Look just hear me out!" Darui ignored Naruto's frustrated shout and dashed in at him, launching a powerful kick at the blonde's head. Naruto's hand snapped up in time to catch the flying foot, and he leveled Darui with a glare full of Killing Intent. The Cloud ninja froze for a split second; enough for Naruto to jump up and throw Darui into the air by his leg. Then, in a beautiful display of orange flashes. Naruto proceeded to knock Darui around like an airborne ping pong ball. When the Cloud Jonin landed on the surface of the water, he could barely mould his chakra to stay afloat the pain was so great. Naruto appeared next to him, panting heavily, and knelt down. "Now will you calm down? I really don't want to fight you." A bout of painful laughter escaped Darui's lips.

"Man, I had heard crazy things about you, but I never expected this." Darui rasped. "Fine, you win. I'll call the retreat. Meet me on the banks of the Stratong River tonight. We can talk freely there." Naruto smiled and nodded before standing and extending his hand. Darui shook his head, but he took it anyway. "I'll be off then." The dark-skinned Jonin flickered away, leaving Naruto alone on the water. He looked up to the sky as a few clouds lazily rolled by, and he imagined that somewhere, Shikamaru was looking at the same thing.

And if he could put an end to this front, then they could all watch the clouds together again.

XxX

**A/N: Alright so there's the latest. I won't discuss it much, but there is one thing I'd like to bring up I suppose.**

**A lot of you are probably going to start thinking why is Naruto abstaining from fighting. Truth is that this isn't the original direction I was going to go, but with the way that the sequel is shaping up, and the way that a possible trilogy is looking, this makes most sense to me. He still wants to continue Jiraiya's dream of bringing peace to the world, something that cannot be done by fighting wars. So he's trying to bring an end to the war as fast as he can. His methods might not make the most sense, but in the kind of world he lives in not much makes sense in the first place. Anyway thats all for now cuz my laptops about to die and I wanna get this up before it does. Hope you enjoyed. Peace.**


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Circumstances

"I'm kinda surprised you came." Darui chuckled as he stepped out of the shadows.

"I am too. The Raikage would murder me if he knew what I was doing." The dark-skinned man sighed. "So I'm here. What is it that you're after?"

"Peace I suppose. A way to end this war for now." The blonde replied quietly. "Why is Hidden Cloud fighting this war?" DO you have some kind of grudge against the Leaf?" Darui shook his head.

"No, nothing like that. Well the Raikage may or may not want to fight you, but that's besides the point. We simply...have no choice." Naruto gave him a strange look.

"No choice? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Naruto asked angrily. "There has to be a better reason than that to send men to their deaths." Darui sighed.

"We couldn't stay out of this war. For one it would make us look weak, especially after the incident at Hozukijo." Naruto twitched slightly. "And we could never pass up a chance to knock you guys down a peg. We hold no grudges, but everyone wants a shot at the mighty Hidden Leaf." Darui rolled his eyes. "At least that's what the public thinks." NAruto's brow rose. "Look, it's really not my place to say. If you're really that curious then you can go ask the Raikage yourself, although I dunno how the hell you could pull that off." The blonde sighed.

"So basically you can't help me." Darui shrugged. "Fine, then I'll be paying your Raikage a visit tomorrow night." Darui cringed.

"I wouldn't recommend that, but I guess I can't stop you. Just don't be surprised if he knocks your head off."

XxX

The Raikage's palace was certainly different than the Hokage tower Naruto decided. For one it was much more lavish; almost as if it was built for a Daimyo. It was also a lot larger, which led to more confusion. He had already gotten lost twice.

He finally found a door that the Raikage was definitely behind. He took a deep breath and prepared himself. For all he knew, the Raikage was waiting for him behind that door, ready to turn him into paste. He cracked the door open and poked his head in. It was completely dark in the office except for a strip of faint moonlight that illuminated a bookcase on the wall. Naruto padded in silently and dropped his invisibility technique, shutting the door behind him. It was silent.

"Is he really not here?" Naruto asked himself aloud. "You've got to be shit-" It all happened very fast, even for Naruto's standards, and if he hadn't been Naruto Namikaze, he would certainly be dead. As it was, he definitely had a separated shoulder. The Raikage had him pinned to the wall with his massive forearm, the only thing between him and Naruto being a thin layer of wind.

"What the fuck are you doing here Namikaze?" Naruto winced as the Raikage increased the pressure of his arm.

"Just here to talk man. Your boy Darui told me something interesting." As soon as Darui's name was mentioned, fury flashed through the Raikage's eyes. He grabbed NAruto by his throat and slammed him through his desk, which shattered into a million pieces.

"What did you do with Darui!" Naruto hacked and coughed as he tried to suck in a breath. "Out with it Namikaze!" A blast of wind exploded from Naruto, propelling the Raikage backwards. Naruto stood slowly and rubbed his neck.

"Fucking christ that hurt! And Darui is fine! We just talked!" The blonde rasped as loud as he could. "Man I think you popped my shoulderback into place..." In a second, the Raikage's fist was in Naruto's face, but he was ready this time. He caught it, and they both stood there for a moment, glaring into each other's eyes. "Will you stop attacking me dammit. I'm not here to fight you." The Raikage's brow quirked slightly.

"You said Darui is okay?" Naruto nodded at the Raikage's question.

"Yea. He's a good guy. Kinda reminds me of my teammate." The Raikage hesitated for a moment before dropping his arm to his side. He grunted.

"Alright. Now, what the hell are you doing here Namikaze?" The blonde scratched his head.

"Well, like I said, I had a few words with Darui." Naruto's gaze turned serious. "Why are you fighting this war? And I want the truth, not some political bullshit." The Raikage seemed a little surprised, but he sighed in resignation.

"Damn you Darui." The Raikage turned around and stared out the window. "My secretary, Mabui, was kidnapped not too long ago, right around the time we heard about a war brewing. From right under my nose too. It's funny, I've come all this way as Raikage, but I still can't protect the people I love." Naruto's eyes widened.

"Love? Then you..." Naruto trailed off, but the Raikage's nod was all he needed to understand. "I'm sorry." Ei chuckled.

"Don't be. That man was powerful. I'm not sure there's anyone in this land that could fight him and win." He said regretfully. "And that's just a feeling I have. I didn't even have the chance to fight him he was so...so many steps ahead of me."

"Tell me more about him."

"There's not much to tell. Not like I saw him. He wore a black cloak. He had me subdued before I knew he was here. Scorching green fire..." The Raikage didn't notice Naruto's jaw drop as he looked down in shame.

"Did you just say green fire?" The Raikage nodded. "That's the man who killed my Uncle!" Naruto started to pace back and forth, and the Raikage looked at him oddly.

"What are you babbling about?" Ei asked.

"When I was young, my Uncle Jiraiya was assassinated by three cloaked assailants. One of them had the ability to produce green fire, something I've never seen to this day. It has to be the same guy." The Raikage took a moment to analyze the information.

"That's some coincidence. Well then boy, what do you want to do about it?" Naruto pondered the question for the moment.

"We need to stop fighting each other and work together." Ei shook his head.

"Can't do that. You see the guy who kidnapped Mabui was sent by Hanzo. And if I don't continue to harass the Hidden Leaf and keep you occupied, they kill her. The worst part is I can't do shit about it. I've had my best BOLT operatives scouring all five Elemental Nations for any sign of her, and I got nothing. So I've basically gotta suck Hanzo's dick until this war is over." Naruto chuckled.

"I guess that's a good way to put it." The Raikage glared at him. "RIght. Well then there's nothing we can do for now. We'll continue to fight each other until one side can't go on. In the meantime you continue your seach and if you find anything figure out a way to contact me. Our villages may not be allies, but you and I certainly are. The Raikage scrutinized Naruto for a moment and nodded slowly.

"You're a lot like your father. Trying to do the impossible and still act like everything is normal. You know I had a very similar experience during the last war with your father in the last war. Some of my men had kidnapped the woman who would later become your mothe. Suffice to say he was not happy." Ei chuckled. "We came to an agreement that it would never get personal again. We would settle it on the battlefield." Naruto smiled.

"Thank you. Many people say that...but it's still nice to hear it." He sighed. "I just don't want you to go through what I did. Losing someone you love...I don't even know how to describe it. It just fucking sucks." Naruto stated, causing the Raikage to crack a smile. "It also causes you make bad decisions, like taking on the Raikage after a giant mythical creature puts a hole in your stomach." The Raikage cocked his head.

"That was why you attacked me that day at Hozukijo?" Naruto nodded.

"I see. I guess it makes sense now. So that girl..." Naruto nodded again. "Hmph. I'm sorry." Naruto was a little surprised he had actually gotten th Raikage to say those words.

"It's dust in the wind now. I've...come to terms with. As much as I ever will anyway. My only advice for you is don't give up on Mabui. I'll help you search for her if I have to, and we will find her." The Raikage observed the searing determination in the blonde's eyes, and he knew he was one hundred percent serious.

"Your aid is appreciated Namikaze. If anything pops up, you can expect a visit from Darui." The young general nodded. "Now, if you'll excuse me, it's been a tiring day. Apparently someone destroyed a few of my battleships and they have to be refitted." Naruto smiled sheepishly and scratched his head before disappearing in a brilliant orange flash. "Hmph, show off."

XxX

"There she is, Fort Tsunakan. This is going to be one of the toughest battle yet y'know?" Kakashi stated as he and his former Genin charges observed the fort from afar.

"I'm not really sure how it could be worse than the last time I was here." Sasuke mumbled.

"Bet we'll find out though." Shikamaru drawled. "As long as there are no Jinchuriki..."

"You just had to say something didn't you?" Sasuke questioned with a glare. Shikamaru just shrugged.

"We're bound to have bad luck regardless." The Nara stated. "Anyway let's get back to camp. Now's as good a time as any."

XxX

Chaos. Utter Chaos. Now Sasuke truly understood why Fort Tsunankan was impregnable.

"His first mission here had been a minor massacre compared to the bloodbath that painted the ground red. Hidden Rock and Hanzo's rebels easily outnumbered them two to one; a large step up from the fifty men Sasuke had fought. The element of surprise was another factor they were missing from this fight. Rock had been expecting them. Eagerly apparently...

It's not that the battle wasn't going well; hell for all Sasuke knew they were winning. Either way this was by far the bloodiest battle of the war so far, besides Naruto's miracle of course. Sasuke had long ago stopped caring about stepping on corpses, simply because it was impossible not to.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kakashi engage Aoi and was about to tep in when he felt the insurmountable urge to turn around and make eye contact with whoever the hell was staring holes through him.

He almost lost his grip on his sword as he made eye contact.

Sasuke had no idea who he was, for he wore a mask similar to Kakashi's, but he didn't care either. Because staring back at him were two very evil eyes; one normal and one Sharingan.

"You!" It seemed like the man cracked a smile under his mask, but Sasuke wasn't sure. He would never find out either as the very space around the man began to warp and twist, until he suddenly vanished.

Sasuke quickly gathered his wits and defended himself from an Earth Style technique before flickering away to where he felt Kakashi. As he arrived, Kakashi's Raikiri was clashed against Aoi's sword, sending powerful arcs of electricity carving through the ground.

"You can't hope to overpower me Kakashi!" Aoi shouted frantically.

"You don't mind if he has help then?" Aoi had no time to react as Sasuke flashed next to him and kicked him away. "Pussy." The Uchiha turned to Kakashi. "You and I need to talk." Kakashi eyed him strangely and looked around.

"It can't wait?"

"The man who's responsible for the Nine-Tails attack was here."

"Oh...shit."

XxX

Aoi cursed as he rolled across the ground. The brat Uchiha had caught him off guard again and made him look foolish. The nerve...

"Aoi." As he came to a stop the rogue Rain ninja looked up to see his Commander and Master.

"Hanzo sir." Aoi greeted respectfully as he was helped to his feet.

"We are withdrawing. The Fort is lost...it won't be much time now. Also, there has been a minor setback." Aoi cocked his head.

"What do you mean? Hanzo grunted.

"The Leaf are now aware of my Master. which means that blonde boy will be back any day now. We must prepare to fight the full force of the Nine-Tails." Hanzo flickered away. Aoi smirked.

"So the cat's outta the bag huh?"

XxX

"Naruto." The blonde snapped out of whatever trance he was in.

"Yes Tenzo? Sorry." The veteran ANBU commander chuckled.

"It's alright, but what has your attention, if you don't mind me asking?" Naruto seemed to debate for a moment whether or not to say when he shrugged.

"I paid a visit to the Raikage last night." Tenzo stared at him blankly then blinked once, twice.

"Remind me not to ask next time." Naruto snorted. "May I ak...actually I don't even know what to ask. Just don't get yourself killed, alright?" The blonde smirked.

"I can't die yet Tenzo. You should know that by now." Naruto stood. "We're continuing our march. If everything goes as planned we should be able to push through Loki Gai and Girumatsu port, and the Hidden Cloud Village should be a stones throw away. Have the men ready by dusk."

XxX

"He was there? On the battlefield? I swear if one more ridiculous twist rears it ugly head during war..." Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome. Where's the weed?" Kakashi reached into his pocket and pulled a baggie out. He tossed it to the Nara, who caught it in surprise/ "Wow really? Definitely kidding but I'll take it." Shikamaru sat down at Kakashi's table of planning and pulled out a pack of rolling papers. "So what do we do? I personally don't fancy taking on the guy who was on par with Minato Namikaze, and I bet you don't either Sensei." Kakashi shook his head.

"Not really. It's hard for me to even comprehend that someone was as strong as Sensei. He never lost." The Hokage turned to Sasuke. "I think it's time to reunite Team 7. How do you feel about a trip to the Land of Lightning?"

"I suppose it will be a nice vacation. But isn't Naruto leading the force up there? I can't just take him away," The Uchiha stated.

"Then help him win. Fast. I'm sure if you mention the guy responsible for his parents' death he'll speed it up a little. Anyway you should get moving. The less time we wait the better."

XxX

"Bee, I have a request for you." The man known as Killer Bee looked up from his notepad.

"Couldn't think of any lines anyway, save it for another day. What can I do for you brother, do I need to go undercover?" The Raikage shook his head.

"No, nothing like that. It's a simple task, well sort of. You've heard of the Namikaze boy right?" EI asked.

"You mean the son of the Yellow Flash, the one that's been kickin our ass?" Ei sighed.

"Yes Bee, the same one. I spoke to him last night. He broke into the palace." Be laughed.

"That boy is like a ghost, a ghoul, hell he made you look like a fool!"

"Shut up Bee! There's a reason I needed a new desk this morning." Be scoffed, causing Ei to growl. "Anyway...I need you to test this boy. He has intrigued me...but I need to know if he's the man he says he is. So take Yugito and I want you to test his limits. Do not kill him, but I want to see how he fares against two Jinchuriki.

"Yugito and I? But that boy will surely die!"

"You forget that he is a JInchuriki as well, of the NIne-Tails no less. No, he will not die. If I'm correct...he'll be the victor of that battle." EI explained. Be just shook his head.

"Whatever you say bro, there's something I don't that you know." Ei chuckled.

"Not this time Bee. I'm as clueless as you. It's just a feeling I have. Now go. By now he should be getting close to Loki Gai, so meet him there. And good luck Bee, I think you'll need it."

XxX

"Do you feel that Tenzo?" The Co-Commander stopped and looked back at his General, who seemed to be staring past everything in his view.

"No I...oh. What...what is that?" It was more power than Tenzo had ever sense before. It was...suffocating.

"It's coming from Loki Gai...Tenzo you have new orders."

"Sir?"

"Take the men and evacuate the city. I don't care if you have to scare people out of their homes, but get them the fuck out." Tenzo had no time to quetion Naruto as the blonde whipped out a kunai and hurled it into the air towards Loki Gai, disappearing in a flash a few seconds later. Moments later in Loki Gai an orange handled kunai landed in front of Bee and Yugito. Naruto appeared in all his glory, his cloak billowing out wide. "Any eason the Raikage sent the two fo you?"

"You're too dangerous for a regular man, so Yugito and I are the plan." Naruto cocked his head.

"Did you just rhyme?"

"Don't question my rhymes bitch, I'll kill you and leave your body in a ditch!" Naruto blinked.

"Not touching that with a ten foot pole..." he muttered. He turned to Yugito. "Do you have a semblance of sanity?" She actually chuckled.

"Bee's just enthusiastic. It's been awhile since we've had a real challenge. I just hope you can rise to the occasion." She crouched low, almost like a cat. "No more talk. Now it's time for you to leave the Land of Lightning." A cloak of blue chakra erupted around Yugito, two tails waving violently behind her, like flames. Be just grinned.

"Not today. Today will be the day that I sent two Tailed Beasts home with their tails between their legs." There was an explosion of power, and Yugito could not stop her jaw from dropping. Naruto was cloaked in a veil of golden chakra, with nine glorious tails whipping around gracefully behind him. His eyes showed the Mark of the Sage, but his eyes were tinted red and slightly slit like his tenant's. "Good, my men have evacuated the city." He smirked. "Then we have no reason to hold back."

XxX

**A/N: And done.**

**So I couldn't think of an EC for this one. I have one for the next one but it has to do with things that were revealed in this chapter, so I'm saving it for next chapter. **

**Bit of a short chapter, but it's still moving along nicely. Next chapter will be an awesome fight. And that's probably pretty much it. We'll see though.**

**So Jiraiya's murderer is back! Told you he would return. Naruto will get his revenge eventually. And on the man with one Sharingan eye.**

**Anyway I hope you guys enjoyed. Got 10% battery and I wanna get this up so thanks for reading. Peace.**


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Two Beasts, One Stone

"This fight's gonna be a breeze, watch me skewer you like swiss cheese! Ow!" Odd rapping aside, Naruto was even more baffled when Bee drew seven swords off of his back and wielded them in all kinds of awkward ways. One was between his toes, one was in his mouth, another was tucked between his bicep and his chest; Naruto wasn't entirely sure what was about to happen next. Then suddenly Bee was hopping around like a frog on crack, his swift strikes coming from every angle all at once. He resembled a swarm of bees, one that had been charged with Lightning Style chakra too. "You may be a prodigy, but you weak compared to me! Yo!"

"Can't you keep quiet for five seconds?"

"No can do little boy, it's my passion to annoy!" Naruto growled as he continued to attempt to dodge the onslaught that was Killer Bee. The only reasons he hadn't been skewered yet were the nine tails floating behind him, which would swoop in and bash away any strike Naruto could not dodge. The blonde was suddenly surprised when Bee backed off, until he felt the roaring heat at his back.

"Fire Style: Eternal Inferno!" A ball of fire the size only a Jinchuriki could conjure surged towards the blonde, courtesy of Yugito.

"Enormous Rasegan!" Naruto's shot toward the ball of fire, and between them the largest Rasengan Naruto had ever created swirled to life. It clashed with the ball of flame, causing the flames to erupt into a cacophony of explosions that tore through the earth. Naruto was blown skyward where Killer Bee was waiting.

"You gon' be wonderin' where you at after you taste my Lariat! Yey!" The dark-skinned Jinchuriki reached the apex of his jump before he started to fall blisteringly fast at Naruto. He was within centimeters of the Naruto when the blonde suddenly shot away with a blast of wind. Bee crashed into the ground, sending chunks of earth flying into the air. Naruto continued to hover in the air a moment as he collected himself. That was a little close.

"Is he flying?" Yugito asked in shock as she gazed at his floating form.

"...Yey." Was Bee's response. Suddenly the blonde dashed towards them and flourished his tails in front of him.

"Nine-Tailed Rasengan Barrage!" On the tip of each tail a Rasengan formed, and they all shot forward, twisting and whirling around each other like snakes. Bee and Yugitu barely had time to clear the attack radius, but they were sent flying from the impact. Naruto touched the ground and then appeared behind Yugito, smashing her down with his fists like a hammer. Next he flashed behind Bee and drove his knee into his back. Blood spurted out of Bee's mouth as he fell to the ground in a heap. "I feel like you guys aren't taking this seriously." He stated as he stared down at Bee. He was shocked as in a second Bee was covered in burning, red chakra with four tails lying beneath him. Naruto arched his back as Bee's fist came roaring for his chin, missing by a hair. As he leaned back he saw Yugito charging in at him from behind, so he used his tails as a spring board and shot up into the air. He didn't expect two claws of burning blue chakra to grow from Yugito's shoulders and swipe him out of the sky.

"Lightning Style: Hammer of Enlightenment!" Bee came crashing down on Naruto like a lightning meteor, a sonic boom echoing through the town a second later. Naruto barely had time to activate his Gale Armor and put his tails up in a vain attempt to deflect some of the damage. It felt as if the Hokage mountain had crashed down on him, plus the still painful electricot coursing through his body. He quickly substituted himself with a log and jumped into the air where he stayed a moment. One f his tails flickered.

"Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!" He didn't make it too big, for the sake of the already half-destroyed town, but they were both easily trapped and sinking fast. Naruto cursed as their bodies erupted into electricity, dispelling the swamp. Kakashi had used the same tactitc on him many times. Naruto felt a burst of chakra behind him and whipped around to meet Yugito's fiery claw.

"Fire Style: Searing Nails!" A trail of fire followed him as he used a burst of wind chakra to escape, distracting him for a moment, allowing Bee to jump up behind him. Bee grabbed him and flipped over before diving towards the ground. They both crashed in the earth, causing further harm to the unlucky village. There was an explosion from their crash site, and a moment later Bee's body was shot into the sky like a bullet. Naruto appreared above him with his fist cocked back and loaded full of WInd Style chakra.

"Wind Style: Pressure Fist!" A blast of compact air as large as Naruto crashed into Bee, causing him to meet the earth once more. Then the blonde sage charged at Yugito when he stopped. Because it wasn't Yugito. "Wh...what?" He floated to a stop in front of her and reached his hand out slowly, caressing her face. "Ryuuzetsu..." Her silver hair shone brightly in the sunlight, and he was about to lean in when he felt a faint echo of chakra.

"LIghtning Bomber!" Reality snapped back into place as Naruto saw Killer Bee charging up a small ball of dark chakra. However, he could feel the enormous mass that it held. It started to spark blue and yellow as Bee added Lightning Style chakra to it, and Naruto tensed.

"Shit." He jumped back to give himself some more space as two of his tails extended out wide. Orbs of white spinning chakra started to form and suddenly they exploded into screeching chakra shurikens of immense power. "Rasenshuriken Barrage!" As Bee launched the combination attack from his mouth Naruto flung both Rasenshurikens and they clashed in a glorious explosion of brilliant blue and yellow electricity. Dust blaketed the village, making it impossible to see when suddenly it was all blown away by a powerful burst of wind from Naruto. Bee and Naruto were untouched, but the crater created by the attack reached the tips of their toes. Suddenly Naruto was behind Yugito, a Rasengan swirling in his hand right behind her head. "What was that? Genjutsu?" He asked, referring to his vision from before. She tensed.

"Eternal Grief Hallucination. A power of the Two-Tails." He tails shot up and wrapped around his arm, holding it in place long enough for Yugito to launch her heel at his head. He ducked and dispelled the Rasengan before grabbing her ankle and throwing her to the side. She flipped in the air and easily recovered as she finished a string of hand signs. "Fire Style: Dance of the Wicked!" She began to twirl around and fire swirled up around her until she was entirely cloaked by white fire. Like a small tornado she tore a path straight for Naruto, who slammed his tails on the ground.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall Barricade!" A wall as thick as his house rose up in front of the blond, shuddering as Yugito barreled into it. Naruto flashed away when Bee crashed into the wall from behind him, but when he found the man, there were two of them. One was murky black with blank white eyes. Naruto dashed at both of them, and they jumped in opposite directions before jumping back towards each other twice as fast.

"Ink Lariat!" As they honed in on Naruto he blasted himself into the air, his tails fluttering as he ascended.

"Earth Style: Mountain Trap Smash!" Two enormous chunks of land rose from the earth behind each Bee and smashed them together, splattering ink in all directions. Naruto landed on top of the mountain and smashed his tails down on it, causing it to crumble. He dashed from rock to rock until he finally reached the ground, where dust eclipsed his view of everything. Suddenly a large, fiery blue claw swiped at him through the dust, almost taking his head off. He blew away the dust to reveal the almost smiling face of the Two-Tailed Demon Cat.

"Okay, I was wrong before. You guys are taking this way too seriously."

XxX

Sasuke stopped at the bank of a river as he felt a powerful wave of chakra wash over him. It felt like a Tailed Beast's chakra.

"Dammit Naruto..." He sighed as he quickly gulped down the rest of his canteen before dashing towards Loki Gai. He could feel multiple Tailed Beast chakra signatures now, and he just shook his head. "Should have figured..."

XxX

"Ink Napalm!" Naruto leapt high into the air as he attempted to dodge the projectile attack. He quickly threw a kunai on the ground and flashed to it to avoid the Two Tails' leaping slash. Bee was instantly on him and Naruto had to weave through the vicious blows that seemed to leave trails of fire behind them, He winced as he used his tails to block a hammer strike that forced him to sink into the ground.

"WInd Style: Great Breakthrough!" Bee was sent flying as Naruto blasted him through a pile of rubble. He then rolled under a claw slash from the Two Tails and jumped back to gain some distance. He was surprised and interested to watch as specters of flame slowly coalesced in front of him. One by one they shot towards him, and soon the Sage was engaged with ten fiery phantoms. Even with his speed, he was having a hard time adjusting to the fact that their bodies were made of fire and so they could morph any which way they wanted. He punched through one's head only for it to open up like a donut. He growled.

"Lariat!" Naruto flashed away instantly as he heard Bee's cry, who crashed into where the blonde had stood before, destroying the flame specters. Bee launched himself at Naruto through the cloud of dust as his arm shifted into a giant tentacle. Bee flung the transformed appendage at the blonde, who flipped over it it and wrapped his tails around it. Naruto spun around and whipped Bee high into the air before appearing behind him, a Rasengan churning in his hand.

"Planetary Rasengan!" Three smaller Rasengan formed around the larger one like satellites, and they spun around in perfect orbit. Naruto slammed his technique into Bee, causing a giant vortex of chakra to blast Bee to the ground. Naruto then appeared behind the Two-Tails as he finished some hand seals. "Summoning Technique!" A screech of pain echoed through the air as the Two-Tails was sent flying from the cloud of smoke created from the sumoning. When the smoke cleared, Gamakichi was looking up at Naruto, who was on his head, in curiosity.

"You do something to your hair bro?"

"Shut up Gamakichi." The toad snickered.

"The tails are cute too." Naruto sighed and smacked the top of Gamakichi's head with one of said tails, causing the toad to wince. "Ow! Seriously my head is not a place for you to play whack-a-mole asshole!"

"Yo bro that's a sick rhyme, you should team up with Killer Bee sometime! Yey!" Gamakichi turned his head to see Bee in his second form...posing.

"Who the fuck is that guy?"

"I'll explain later but right now I need you to focus! Like on that giant fucking fireball!" Naruto shouted frantically as an enormous tower of flames surged toward them.

"I got the oil!"

"What th fuck do you-" Naruto's voice was drowned out as the oil impacted with the tower of flames, causing a massive explosion to rock the decaying town. Everything within the radius of the explosion had been scorched into nothing more than a pile of ash. "Are you crazy?" Naruto shouted as smoke rolled across the town.

"What do you mean? That's always our go to strategy against really big fire attacks." Gamakichi stated carelessly. Naruto shook his head and sighed.

"No it's not that, I was just trying really hard to not destroy the entire village, but I guess it was inevitable. We are fighting two Jinchurikis anyway." Gamakichi's eyes bulged at that.

"You didn't mention that before."

"Well we are. One of them is already in Tailed Beast stare; the Two-Tails."

"Water Style: Crushing Charge!" Two large waves of water crashed through the cloud of smoke, surprising the bickering duo and threatening to overtake them. Suddenly, instead of crashing down on them, at their apex the waves swirled up into the shape of two horns before diving back down like lightning. But it was a split-second longer, and that was what Naruto needed. A kunai could be seen flying over the village when suddenly a giant toad appeared, blocking out the sun. Gamakichi crashed to the ground, causing the cloud of dust to blow away, revealing he Two-Tails and the Eight-Tails side-by-side.

"I lied before. They're both in Tailed Beast state."

"Dammit I'm way too drunk for this." Naruto quirked a brow at that.

"Why are you drunk Gamakichi?" The toad snorted.

"It's dad's birthday today, and he's pretty pissed you're not there y'know. Now he's probably pissed at me too." Naruto rolled his eyes.

"I'm a little busy. Speaking of which are you gonna be of any use to me right now because I'm kinda fighting for my life at this point." Naruto got no time to hear his answer as he saw the Eight-Tails begin to collect a mass of dark chakra over his mouth. It was much larger than before, and it was missing the Lightning Style chakra as well.

"Oh shit Tailed Beast Bomb. Warp us somewhere _far _Naruto!" Naruto had every intention of doing just that when what looked like a giant arrow made of black flame crashed into the dark mass of chakra, causing it to explode and blast the Eight-Tails backwards. Naruto smiled as he felt someone land next to him on Gamakichi's head.

"Long time no see princess."

"Apparently not long enough." Naruto chuckled as he turned to face his best friend. Sasuke smirked back.

"Oh Sasuke! Long time no see!" Gamakichi greeted, holding his flipped up. "So since you're here that means I'm good to go right? Awesome. Later! Oh and I better see you at dad's birthday Naruto!" WIth that the summon disappeared back to his own realm, leaving Naruto and Sasuke to fall to the ground. Naruto sighed as they landed.

"No respect..." He muttered, earning a chuckle from Sasuke. The blonde glared at him.

"So what did you get yourself into this time?" Sasuke asked as he had a thousand times before.

"Two-Tails and Eight-Tails. No biggie. And you can control Amaterasu now?" The blonde replied like he had a thousand times before. WIthout a car in the world.

"You can control the fox now?" Naruto chuckled and scratched his head.

"We got a lot of catching up to do I guess. After this of course. You want the Two-Tails or the Eight-Tails."

"Two-Tails."

"Pussy."

"Cheater." Naruto smirked.

"Whatever. Let's go." He flashed away leaving Sasuke to shake his head. The Uchiha jumped away and dashed at the Eight Tails, brandishing his swords. They erupted with electricity as they clashed with the beast's fiery claws, sending a shower of sparks through the air. The Two-Tails jumped back to avoid the weapons and fired off three successive fireballs at Sasuke.

"Amaterasu Shield!" Black flames poured out of his eye and formed into the shape of a knight's shield, eclipsing him from view. The fireballs impacted one after another, the excess flames pouring out around the edges of the shield, leaving Sasuke unharmed. He pulled the flames back into his eye and dashed forward, his swords carving through the ground behind him. He hacked and slashed at the Demon Cat, but it was easily able to weave through his attacks even with her size. Sasuke sheathed his swords and jumped back as he started a string of hand signs.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Missile!" The Uchiha spat out a ferocious Water Dragon that smashed into the cat, causing it to tumble backwards. He followed up with a barrage of Lightning Senbon that elicited a cry of pain from the feline. The Two-Tails sprang up in a fury and leapt away from Sasuke over to the Eight-Tails, who had started to gather yet another dark mass of chakra. Then, the Two-Tails started to form its own.

"Sasuke! Get behind me!"

XxX

Naruto apprared on the bridge of the Eight-Tails' nose, causing him to snarl. In a split second the Eight-Tails' hands smashed together right over his nose, aiming to squish Naruto like a fly. But Naruto easily warped abck to the ground, tapping his tails on the ground as he landed.

"Earth Style: Boulder Scatter Shot!" About a dozen or so extremely heavy boulders rose from the ground around Naruto, and with a simple wave of his tail he sent them rocketing at Bee. As they approached he smashed each one with his trin sized fists, his arms a blur as they moved. As the last one soared toward him he snatched it out of the air with a tentacle and flung it back at the Toad Sage. Naruto easily batted it aside with one of his tails.

"You should stop actin' like this is a piece of cake, or they gon' find yo' body at the bottom of a lake! Yo!" It was odd to hear that come from the Eight-Tails' mouth, but Naruto had no time to be amused as a flurry of tentacles rushed at him. He hopped and dove through the slimy, twisting extremities as they aimed to ensnare him, using one as a springboard to reacht he bridge of the beast's nose once more. He quickly bounded higher into the sky where he began to charge of chakra in his hand.

"Wind Style: Eye of the Almighty!" He froze in mid-air and floated there as a Rasengan roared to life in his palm. It slowly started to turn brown as chunks fo earth rose from the ground far below, compacting into sharp stones and orbiting the swirling orb. The front of the Rasengan extended outward and compacted with tone, turning it into a drill of sorts. He shot off towards the Eight-Tails at full speed. "Rasenwaremiyari!" A ferocious wall of water shot up between Naruto and his target. and he crashed into it with the force of a meteor. Water splashed in every direction, flooding the town as Naruto fell back to the ground. "Not enough...alright let's try this." He took a running start as a Rasengan formed in his hand. Meanwhile, the Eight-Tails clenched his fist and started to charge it with lightning chakra, causing it to crackle with electricity. Naruto held the Rasnegan out in front of him and launched himself at Bee, the Rasengan flickering gold as he did. He flourished each of his nine tails in front of him around the Rasengan and he started to swirl maddeningly fast until he looked like a spear of swirling golden chakra. "Rasenbiransu!" Bee's hand exploded with an unsafe amount of electricity as he charged at Naruto.

"Tailed Beast Lariat!" The ground caved in on itself as the attacks collided, and streaks of lightning carved through the earth. As the sinkhole slowed to a halt, Naruto landed on one of the few buildings left standing, putting him on eye level with the Eight-Tails. Slowly, he once again tried to amass the ball of dark destructive chakra. Then suddenly the Two-Tails was at Bee's side charging up the same technique.

"Sasuke! Get behind me!" He felt his teammate land behind him. "I suggest you get a lot farther away than that. There's a slight possibility that I'm about to kill myself." Sasuke rolled his eyes but made no attempt to move. "Whatever. Don't blame me in hell." The Uchiha smirked and Naruto brought all of his tails out in front of them. Slowly, between all nine points of them the same orb of dark chakra started to form, and Naruto was surprised at how heavy it was. He then formed a Rasengan in his hand and lined up the orb of dark chakra with the two beasts. Simultaneously the two beasts chomped down on their masses of chakra, and Naruto shoved his Rasengan into the mass of chakra.

"Human Beast Cannon!" A beam of golden chakra that swirled like a vortex collided head on with the two Tailed Beast Bombs. Sasuke had to deactivate his Sharingan out of fear of going blind. The explosion was deafening, and to Naruto it was a little eerie to feel the wind rush past him and see the dust blow by him silently. Eerie, but it also meant that he was alive, which meant that this fight was over. That was undoubtedly his most powerful attack, even if he had just made that up on the fly.

His tails fluttered, and a powerful gust of wind cleared the town of smoke and dust. Where the two Tailed Beasts had once stood were now two very exhausted Jinchuriki. Yugito was out cold, while Bee was down on one knee, panting and bleeding. Naruto appeared in front of himand his cloak of chakra melted away.

"You can tell Ei that I'll be waiting for him in Girumatsu Port." With that, he flashed away, leaving the two Jinchuriki in a position they had never imagined.

XxX

"A prophecy? That seems a little far fetched."

"You of all people should understand how little that means." The blonde replied with a snort. "I believe it though. I mean I don't really have a choice do I?"

"I guess not." The Uchiha replied. "But I have news for you that's more important." Naruto's brow rose.

"Oh? Go on."

"During our last confrontation with Hanzo, I saw the man responsible for the Nine-Tails attack on the Leaf village, theman who killed your father." Naruto's eyes widened.

"What the fuck do you mean?" He asked, a quiet fury rushing through his veins.

"I saw him. Sharingan to Sharingan. It had to have been him. And he was fighting on Hanzo's side." Sasuke explained, making Naruto clench his fists.

"Then he dies at the end of this war. Oh and speaking of assassins, apparently the guy who assassinated Jiraiya kidnapped the Raikage's secretary-slash-lover and is holder her hostage, which is the only reason we're fighting Cloud. He's on Hanzo's side as well." Sasuke blinked."

"You're gonna have to write up a detailed report for Kakashi..." Naruto waved him off.

"I will later, but for now fuck that." He pulled a joint out of his cloak. "It's been awhile my friend."

XxX

Extra Content: The Downfall of the Raikage

Late nights in the Raikage's office were Ei's favorite part of the day. Contrary to the image he put out, he was quite fond of peace, and nowadays it seemed like his office was the only place he could find it. Sure the bureaucratic work was utter bullshit,, but someone had to do it. Every once in awhile at least.

"Mabui, please bring me the list of graduating Academy students." He said aloud to no one. But he knew she could hear him. It was one of the reasons why she was his secretary. She appeared in front of his desk suddenly with her arm outstretched, document in hand.

"Here you are sir." Ei stood and circled his desk and approached Mabui, brushing her hair aside. She smiled.

"You're wearing the earrings I bought you." He murmured, eyeing the golden orbs. She giggled.

"Of course. They're beautiful." He hand came up to his face, stroking his cheek gently.

"I'm glad you like them."

"I hope I'm not interrupting." The Raikage turned his head in shock to see a cloaked man sitting in his chair. He grabbed Mabui and held her close.

"I don't know who you are, but you have three seconds to leave before I break every bone in your body." Ei threatened, eliciting a chuckle from the trespasser.

"Go right ahead." There was a burst of electricity, and Ei was suddenly in front of the man, Lighting Armor crackling angrily. His fist smashed his chair into particles, but the man was nowhere to be seen. "Wow, you are fast. Almost as fast as I am." The Raikage growled and spun around, covering the span of the room in the blink of an eye and lunging for the assailants neck. He grasped air as the man appeared behind him, a ball of swirling green flame in his hand. "But now I got you." The man smashed the ball of fire into the side of Ei's face, causing it to explode and send Ei crashing into a bookcase. The bookcase toppled over and broke over Ei's body, sliding off slowly. Ei tried to push himself up, but his head was swimming, and he could barely see the man as he took hold of Mabui. He held a short blade to her throat. "Now that you're more likely to listen...well listen up. As of right now you are allies with Hanzo the Salamander." The Raikage growled.

"I beg your pardon?" He asked as he stood on one knee.

"War is brewing, between Hidden Rain and Hanzo's rebel faction. Unfortunately, Hidden Rain has acquired the help of Hidden Sand and Hidden Leaf. We need you to level the playing field." The cloaked man explained.

"So I'm cannon fodder for the tree huggers, is that it?" Ei asked angrily.

"I suppose you could put it that way. Whatever way you put it doesn't matter. Just distract the Leaf. Or I'll kill her." He shrugged. "You're choice."

"Lord Raikage-"

"Shut up Mabui!" She seemed taken aback but she stayed quiet. "Fine, we'll fight your war. But if I ever see you again..." The man chuckled airily.

"FIne by me. Good doin' business with you Raikage." With that, he crashed through the stained glass window behind Ei's desk with Mabui in tow, Ei didn't even bother going to look after him; he'd be gone before he hit the ground.

"Mabui..."

XxX 

**A/N: Holt tits I'm done. That took awhile.**

**Hope you liked it, dont feel like typing anymore so I'll be quick. Rasenbiransu is Spiraling Tail Spear by the way. I hope you guys can picture this stuff in your head like I can, cuz if you cant it probably just sounds stupid...anyway thanks for reading and I hope you liked it. Any questions or whatever you know what to do.**

**OH! Right i wanted to ask. Does anyone wanna Beta this story? I had one before and he was pretty good but then I think he got married or something and I never spoke to him again. Anyway if you would like to beta it, and you are actually good with grammar and shit, seriously dont say you will if you suck at writing because that defeats the purpose, the please message me cuz i know I could use one. Anyway that's it so peace!**


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38:Besieging the Enemy

**SLAM**

The Raikage almost jumped in his seat as his door swung opened and smashed against the wall, sending spider cracks through the frame. Bee limped into the room with Yugito slung over his good shoulder, if either could be called good. Drops of blood left a trail behind him, staining the carpet red, like his bloodshot eyes.

"...Yo." Not a second after the greeting left his mouth did Bee stumble forward and collapse onto his face, losing Yugito in the process. The Raikage stood and slowly circled his desk, analyzing his two Jinchuriki. He had never seen either of them, let alone both of them, in such a state, and quite frankly he was shocked. "Meet...Girumatsu...waiting..." The Raikage knelt down as Bee tried to speak, but he could only get a few words in through pained wheezes.

"What is it Bee?" Ei rolled his brother on his back.

"Namikaze is waiting at Girumatsu Port for you...yey." With that he passed out, his snores echoing through the silent room. Ei just smirked and stood up.

"Shi!" A blonde Cloud Jonin dressed in regular Cloud uniform appeared knelt down in front of the Raikage. "Heal these two up and then let them rest. I have an errand to run. Until then I'm putting you in charge. Understood?" Shi stood and nodded.

"Of course sir. But may I ask one question?" The Raikage nodded. Shi turned and gazed at the two injured JInchuriki. "Who did this to Bee and Yugito? I never imagined..." He lost his train of thought and turned back to the Raikage, looking for an answer.

"The Namikaze boy, who else?" Shi's eyes widened for a moment before he sighed and nodded. "Very well. Keep these two in line if they wake up before I get back." He disappeared in a flash after that,and Shi knelt down next to Yugito, his hands glowing with green chakra.

"What kind of power..."

XxX

"I'm glad you figured out my message. I didn't want to get smashed through another table." Naruto stated as he jumped down behind Ei.

"You shouldn't sneak up on me boy." Ei growled.

"Eh, I like to live life on the edge." He shrugged as the Raikage turned to him. "Alright enough with the bullshit. Was it really necessary to send both of your pets after me?" The Raikage motioned over his shoulder and pulled the hood of his cloak over his head, and Naruto followed suit.

"I wanted to test you." Ei answered as they started walking.

"Test me? By destroying one of your own cities? You're real fuckin lucky i had my men evacuate the city before that battle took place, or there would be the blood of thousands on your hands." Naruto growled, his Killer Intent spiking for a moment. The Raikage put a hand on his shoulder, to calm him down, and Naruto glared at him.

"I knew you would evacuate the city. I've figured you out boy. You haven't really been slaughtering battalion after battalion. No, the only time that truly happened was when Rock invaded the Land of Fire right? You're a man of peace Namikaze, just like your father. And I'd be willing to bet my life that you would have done something to protect those villagers, even if they weren't your own. Just like you did on the border that day when you invaded, which i still have no idea how you did. I know my men are still alive in your camps somewhere. And in all the years I've known Darui I've never known the man to retreat, and yet somehow you convince him to. Because he believed you." As Ei explained all of this, Naruto's anger slowly started to fade, and by the end he was smiling. "And now I believe you too." Naruto nodded.

"Then I won't let you down. Speaking of which, I'll be leaving for a few weeks, but I'll be leaving Sasuke Uchiha in charge. I'm going to go meet up with a few of my contacts around the countries and see if I can't get a lead on Mabui, and a few other things. If I get any word I can send you a messenger Toad, just don't kill it or I'll have to kill you." Ei raised a brow. "Seriously that's not cool those little guys are my summons. I could drop Gamabunta on your ass and he would flay you alive for hurting one of his grandkids y'know?" Ei sighed and rolled his eyes.

"I don't resort to violence in every situation..."

"You put me through a desk!"

"You were stupid enough to break into a Kage's office. What did you expect?" Ei shrugged and Naruto grunted.

"Whatever. Anyway, it's been fun gramps, but I'm gonna hit the road. Got a lot of traveling to do." In a flash he was gone, and Ei was growling at where he had stood.

"I'm in my thirties...cheeky bastard."

XxX

"How many do you see Neji?" The Hokage and Neji were perched on a branch sticking out the side of a sky-reaching cliff. Neji's Byakugan was focused on the distant city of Setsugorana, one of the largest in the Land of Earth.

"It's hard to count them all...but I'd say anywhere from fifteen to twenty thousand. No doubt mostly Hidden Rock." Neji answered astutely as he surveyed the encampents surrounding the city.

"They're not joking around..." Kakashi stated with a nervous chuckle.

"It appears not sir." Kakashi looked over at Neji, who was still looking out over the horizon, and half-glared at him.

"Right. Well, let's get back to camp for now. You, Shikamaru and I will discuss a plan of action and then we'll see where it leads us." Neji turned as his Byakugan deactivated, surprise evident on his face.

"Me?" Kakashi nodded.

"Yes, Sasuke had many good things to say about you, and I trust his word. So you'll take his place for now." Neji's eyes widened, but then he got serious and nodded firmly.

"Of course sir. We should get going."

XxX

"Twenty-thousand? That's a lot to work with..." Shikamaru paced back and forth in front of Kakashi and Neji as he pondered the situation. "How many men do we have?"

"Including the reinforcements that should be arriving in the next day or so, our allies in Sand, Rain and Grass, about thirteen-thousand." Kakashi answered.

"It'll have to work." Shikamaru stated as he came to a stop. "They want a fight, so we'll give it to them. And we'll destroy them with the very land they protect." Shikamaru smirked. "Someone get Gaara."

XxX

It wouldn't be long now. They were within an hours march of Setsugorana, and the quiet intensity that came before a battle descended over the army. Shikamaru's plan was simple, just move when he gave the signal. His warning had been clear:

"If you're not out of there in time, there's a chance you'll end up part of the desert afterward. So get the fuck outta there."

No one wanted to find out what that really meant; it sounded fucking terrible.

Kakashi pulled his headband up, revealing his Sharingan, as the city came into view, as well as the awaiting army. He charged in front of his army as an array of Earth Wall Barricades shot up from the ground in front of him. He flashed through hand seals as a hundred Shadow Clones appeared behind him.

"Lightning Style: Lightning Beast Mega Rampage!" His enormous lightning wolf tore through the defenses like a knife through flesh, and the rest of the army charged in around him as his clones dissipated. He jumped into the fray, activating his Raikiri and clashing with a blade made of lightning. He frowned as Aoi smirked in his face.

"We really have to stop meeting like this." The rogue joked.

"I would love that." Aoi frowned as they fell to the ground. He spun around as Kakashi's arm thrust by his chest, missing by an inch. Aoi slashed at the Copy Ninja's back, but he sunk into the ground and popped up behind the rogue, pulling his white chakra saber off his back with his free hand. He was a stream of white and blue as he danced around Aoi, sending off yellow sparks every time one of his blades clashed with the rogue's.

"Poison Mist!" Aoi deflected one of Kakashi's strikes and blew a cloud of wet, purple mist at the Hokage, engulfing him in the deadly fog. Kakashi's body exploded, a technique he had learned from Itachi, dissipating the cloud of poison and sending Aoi flying.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Missile!" Aoi jumped away as a roaring dragon of water crashed into where he had lain. He shook his head as he pushed himself off the ground, only to see Kakashi nod to seemingly no one before taking out all of the kunai in his pocket and hurling them into the air, causing a deafening explosion to rock the battlefield. Aoi hit the deck as shrapnel whizzed over his head, burying his face in the dirt. After a few seconds he got back to see that Kakashi was nowhere in sight and the enemies had retreated. Then a monstrous, looming shadow washed over him and he paled.

"Shit..." There was a warp in the air next to him as his Master and his Master's Master stepped out.

"Come Aoi, we will not die in this." The Rogue nodded at Hanzo and the three of them were sucked into a whirling vortex of nothing.

XxX

"There, that's the signal." Neji stated, his Byakugan focused on the battle below. He, Gaara and Shikamaru were stationed atop the sky-reaching cliff.

"Alright. Gaara, you're up." Shikamaru ordered, turning to the Kazekage. He nodded and brought his hands together, closing his eyes as he focused.

"Sand Typhoon." He knelt down and slammed his hands on the ground, sending a shockwave through the earth. Towering waves of sand rose from the ground and rolled across the land, engulfing everything in their way; it was as if Poseidon himself had raged in these sands. The earth rumbled as scores of men were crushed beneath the waves, becoming one with the desert. Finally the attack subsided, and Shikamaru could only stare in awe.

"That was...very Naruto-like. Kakashi will wrap things up down there, in the meantime we should infiltrate Setsugorana and find out who's running this particular detachment. I'm sure he'll have loads of information." Neji and Gaara nodded and together they were off.

XxX

Stesugorana was an old city, ancient almost. Shikamaru seemed to recall something about it being the oldest city in the Land of Earth from the Academy textbooks. It was bustling with activity nonetheless, making it quite easy for the three to infiltrate. It was hard to believe there was a battle going on outside the city walls.

"9 o'clock watchtower, forty shinobi guards hidden in various places. Definitely where the leader is." Neji stated, picking out all of the finer details in an instant with his bloodline.

"Excellent. We're going in quietly, no reason to cause any more trouble." Shikamaru ordered. "Gaara, I want you to stay out here in case something goes wrong. Secure us an escape route." The Kazekage nodded at the Nara, and both Neji and Shikamaru made their way towards the watchtower, blending in with the crowds. As they got closer, Shikamaru's shadow split into forty different tendrils, and slowly they snaked through the city, silencing each guard as Neji pointed them out. After all had been knocked out, the two Leaf ninja entered through the front entrance, leading them up a long, twirling stairway. They ascended cautiously and quietly, Neji's Byakugan scanning for any surprise guards or traps. Finally, they reached the top, where a lone door stood between them and their target.

"He's in there, no doubt." Neji whispered as he crouched in front of the door.

"Alright. I can get him through the door, just tell me where he is." Shikamaru responded just as quietly.

"3 o'clock, sitting in a chair facing to your right. He looks like he's dozed off." Shikamaru scoffed.

"Wonder whose son he is..." He ripped a scroll out of his pocket and unfurled it and dropped it on the ground as he flashed through hand seals. "Leaf Secret Clan Technique: Shadow Emergence." Shikamaru's shadow slithered forward under the crack of the door, and there was a thud before his shadow bubbled up from underneath him, carrying the unconscious captain. "Seal!" He slammed his hand down on the scroll and the man was sealed inside with a silent poof. "Alright mission accomplished. Let's get outside and meet up with Gaara."

XxX

The alliance army had set up camp outside the walls of Setsugorana, hoping to quickly take the city with a siege. They knew most of the army had been annihilated by Gaara in the last battle, and the few that escaped plus the men still in the city could not hope to match up against the remaining allied ninja. It was only a matter of time, a short one too.

"Okay i think it's time we had a little chat with our friend eh?" Shikamaru suggested as he waved the scroll around. He unfurled it and made a hand sign, and with a poof of smoke the comatose captain was sprawled on the ground. Shikamaru knelt down next to him and rolled him on his back before activating another technique. "Shadow Scalpel." He performed the technique flawlessly, and in minutes the captain was groggily trying to get his bearings.

"Where..." Shikamaru reached down and grabbed him by the collar and slammed him into a weapons shelf, waking him instantly with the loud clanging.

"Sorry, I'm not usually such a violent guy, but I don't have time to waste with you." Shikamaru stated in a sympathetic but sarcastic way. "Now that you're with us, mind telling me what Hanzo has been up to for the past few decades?" He asked, eyeing his slashed Hidden Rain headband.

"Go to hell..." Shikamaru sighed and whipped a kunai out of his weapons pouch, twirling it around once before grabbing the man's arm and slicing one of his fingers off. He screamed in pain.

"Like I said I don't have time for you. So give me what I want and you're free to go. I'll even let you run back to your leader and tell him all about what happened here." The man gasped as he tried to look away from his hand, ignoring the spurting blood. "Now, tell me what Hanzo has been doing."

"I don't know! I'm just a lackey! They don't tell us anything!" The prisoner yelled pathetically, causing Shikamaru to shake his head.

"And what a good choice that turned out to be..." The Nara stood up and wiped the sweat off of his brow. "Kakashi can you stop him from bleeding?" Kakashi eyed Shikamaru warily before slowly walking over to the man and stopping the blood flow with copied medical Ninjutsu. As he walked by Shikamaru he leaned in slightly.

"You and I are going to have a talk after this."

"Fair enough." Shikamaru cleared his throat as he approached the man again. "So maybe you don't know any details, but you have to have a general idea of what's been going on the last few years right?" The man stayed silent. "I can take your balls this time?" The man paled.

"Ak-Akatsuki..." Shikamaru's eyebrow perked up at the mention of the organization but he let the man go on. "Years ago when we were pushed out of Hidden Rain, it was by Akatsuki. They were an organization of criminals that was fairly new, and they were just starting to make a name for themselves, but Hanzo didn't like it. He feared if they got too powerful, they would attempt a coup and overthrow him. So we did it first, but it failed. Akatsuki took control of Hidden Rain and Hanzo went into hiding. Around that time he met a man, a man I've only seen a few times but one I'll never forget. I never really knew why he was around, but Hanzo seemed to respect him immensly, or fear him immensly at least. And he should have, the Sharingan is damn scary." Shikamaru's eyes widened.

"You said Sharingan?" The prisoner nodded.

"Yea, in one eye. Just like you Hokage." Kakashi grunted. "He was always hiding in the shadows, and he only ever talked to Hanzo or Aoi, but it was because of him that we got this strong. After he came around, Hanzo became much more powerful, and we started to bolster our numbers. Whoever he is, he's strong I know that." Shikamaru seemed satisfied, so he cut the bonds on the man's hands.

"Right. Well you're free to go, rogue I would presume. Nobody likes a turncoat." The man seemed genuinely shocked for a moment before nodding dumbly and rushing out of the tent before Shikamaru could change his mind. "So it seems that the man with the stolen Sharingan has his hand in a lot of shady dealings around the continent." The Naru mused aloud.

"Forget that for now. What the hell was that?" Kakashi asked in a guarded fury. Shikamaru sighed.

"I've done worse. Much worse. Like I said, I didn't have time to deal with him." Kakashi's anger grew as Shikamaru shrugged it off like nothing.

"That's nothing like you Shikamaru. None of you are that brutal."

"We are now. ROOT isn't for pussies Kakashi, you should have known that when you sent us on that mission." Kakashi's eye widened.

"ROOT..." Shikamaru shook his head.

"Look this really isn't the time for this. If you want to hear about the mission where we had to kill a nine year old, or the mission where we had to slaughter an entire village, then I'll tell you about it another time. But right now, there's a war going on, and I don't need to relive those horrific memories while I create new ones out there." He stated angrily, pointing towards the city. He seemed surprised at himself after a moment, and so he took a second to calm down with a sigh. "Sorry."

"I understand. It's my fault after all." Kakashi turned around. "I have a few issues to deal with, but you should get some rest. I'd like to take the city tomorrow." Shikamaru nodded as the Hokage exited the tent, and he collapsed onto his bedroll. He just hoped sleep would find him easy.

XxX

The first stop on Naruto's itinerary was a small farming village a few miles south of the Village Hidden in the Rocks. It was where the ninja village imported most of its livestock and crops from, making it the perfect, low-key place for one of his informants. The man he was supposed to find went by the name Jiruuchi, and he was posing as a simple cattle-farmer. Well he was a simple cattle-farmer by this point, but he would always be a part of the spy network.

Naruto found the house that Jiruuchi resided in and broke in through the top floor window, the cover of the night hiding him well. He landed in an empty bedroom, and he decided to follow the crack of light bleeding in from the hallway. The blonde swiftly and quietly descended the stairs, spotting the man in his kitchen at a table. He figured it was time to make an entrance. Maybe he'd take one out of Jiraiya's book for this one...

"I always thought assassins would come for me one day..." Naruto's eyes widened. Had that man detected him?

"I'm no assassin. I'm..." The blonde slammed his hand on the ground, creating a large cloud of smoke that billowed throughout the house. When it cleared, Naruto stood atop a human-sized armored toad, in a pose Jiraiya would be proud of, "...The Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku, Naruto Namikaze!" Naruto hoped he did the skit justice, he had always wanted to do it as a kid. The man gave no reaction however, disappointing Naruto a bit.

"Toad Sage you say? Well the last man to hold that title was Jiraiya of the Sannin, and last I heard he was dead. So," Naruto's eyes narrowed as the man was suddenly behind him, kunai lazily poised at his throat., "who the hell are you?" Now Naruto was mad. Why did everyone have to be so damn hostile towards him!

"Jiraiya was my Uncle. And I'm here because I've taken on his duties as spymaster of the Hidden Leaf." The man's eyes widened before he dropped the kunai quickly.

"I see...I apologize. Please, come sit." The man suddenly appeared back in his seat, and Naruto hopped off of his toad, who decided to lay down rather than dispel just yet. "So how are you related to JIraiya?" Jiruuchi asked as Naruto sat.

"I'm not. But he raised me as a child up until he died. My father was his student, and I guess he felt like he had to after my parents died." The man cocked his head.

"Student? That would make you..." Naruto nodded.

"Yea, the Fourth Hokage was my father." The blonde admitted.

"I guess I should have caught that before when you introduced yourself. I was just surprised there was some idiot in my kitchen doing Jiraiya's bit." Naruto broke into laughter at that.

"That's actually the first time I've ever done that. It was awesome though, I always loved watching him do it as a kid." Jiruuchi chuckled and shook his head.

"Well, I can already tell you're a lot like him. Do you have his insatiable desire for women as well?" Naruto rolled his eyes at the question. As a kid he had never really paid that much attention to Jiraiya's...love for all things with breasts, but it was by far his most prominent and memorable quality. Not that that was always a good thing.

"Not quite. I think if he had lived until I was a teenager though then I would have been screwed." Another bout of laughter rang through the house. Jiruuchi stood up and grabbed a bottle of sake out of a cabinet, along with two saucers.

"Drink?" Naruto nodded. He poured the two drinks and set them on the table, keeping the bottle nearby. "So I suppose you didn't come out here to try out a few Kabuki poses. Care to fill me in?"

"I'm looking for a woman, her name is Mabui. She's the secretary of the Raikage, and she was kidnapped by one of Hanzo's men not too long ago." He explained.

"Any idea who this guy is?" Jiruuchi asked.

"Not his identity. But we have encountered him before." Jiruuchi urged him to go on. "He was one of the assassins that killed Jiraiya;" Jiruuchi was about to drink his cup of sake when he paused, his eyes going wide, and set it back on the table.

"I see...so we're not dealing with average assassins here." Naruto shook his head.

"Definitely not. The only kind of information I can give you on this guy is that he can use some sort of Fire Style attack that produces green fire. Other than that we're in the dark." Jiruuchi processed the information for a moment before slamming his saucer back and nodding thoughtfully.

"Alright, I'll see what kind of information I can dig up. Most of my connections are to Hidden Rock, so if you want to search the Land of Earth thoroughly, you should continue to contact my brothers in the network. Near the eastern border on the Tsuchikiri River, there's a small, abandoned mine that used to be rich with gold. Find a man named Booretsu, he has many dealings with...shady people." Jiruuchi suggested, wiggling his eyebrows at the end. Naruto stifled a chuckle at that and nodded.

"Thank you Jiruuchi. I'll send a toad every so often for updates, but I need to get going for now. Unfortunately I don't have any time to kill, just people." Jiruuchi nodded.

"I understand. Good luck boy, you'll certainly need it."

XxX

"Tenzo right?" The aforementioned Jonin nodded at Sasuke's question. "How much farther to Hidden Cloud?"

"At the pace we're going? Two to three hours." He answered quickly. "Do you have a plan?" Sasuke shrugged.

"I don't plan on invading Hidden Cloud until Naruto returns. We'll just hold the line outside of their walls and suffocate them until one side, their's presumably, snaps. By then Naruto should be here to handle the backlash." The Uchiha explained, earning a nod from Tenzo.

"Sounds good to me. I'll give the order." Sasuke nodded and Tenzo disappeared to pass on the word. As they marched Sasuke thought about all of the behind the scenes work going on during this war, and he couldn't help but feel like they were missing something. Something right under their noses...he would have to talk to Itachi about it.

XxX

Extra Content: History of Akatsuki - Part 1

"Mom..." A young red-headed boy dragged his feet through the sloshy mud of what used to be his village. His home, his village, his family...all of it had been destroyed; taken from him in just one short night. One night full of pain. A pain that would be carved into his heart forever.

"Dad..." Blood, rain and tears all fell from his face, washing away as soon as they hit the ground. He didn't feel like walking anymore. He didn't feel like getting rained on anymore. What was the point? Everyone he loved was...gone.

Nagato...

He collapsed to his knees as his mother's soothing voice rang through his head, sending a spike of icy pain through his heart. He wobbled a bit before falling forward and splashing down into the mud, his vision blurring.

"Mom..." He whispered faintly, not even able to hear himself. His vision started to flicker before everything went black, and he lost consciousness.

XxX

Nagato let out a satisfied yawn as he slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes. He could feel the warmth of the fire next to him-

Wait, fire?

"What the..." Nagato looked around and noticed that he was no longer in his village. He was in a cave of some sort; possibly a hidden shinobi weapons cache from the way it looked. "How did I-"

"I found you." Nagato's eyes widened and he whipped his head around, his eyes locking with those of a young shinobi with long, spiky white hair. He had a smirk on his face. "You look frightened. I can assure you I'm not going to harm you." Nagato was afraid, for a moment, But then he saw the man's headband, and he remembered the men who destroyed his village had worn the same headband. Well some of them had. His fear turned into searing hatred.

"You! It's all your fault!" The man seemed surprised at the boy's outburst. Nagato stood. "I'll kill you!" The white-haired man's jaw literally dropped as the boy conjured a steel blade in his hand and charged at him. He whipped a kunai out and easily deflected the sloppy strike, still cutting it close due to his surprise. It was then that he saw the boy' eyes, as they raged with hatred for him. They were tinged purple, and a ripple pattern extended from the pupil. To think that this little boy actually had the Rinnegan...

The boy finally seemed to realize what he had just done, and he dropped the blade in utter shock. "What..." He backed away, looking at his hands and the man crouched down in front of him.

"Tell me what happened kid. I won't hurt you I swear." The man took his weapons pouch and put it down in front of Nagato, nudging it towards him. Nagato eyes the pouch, then the man, then the pouch again before sighing sadly.

"Yesterday..."

XxX

Jiraiya shook his head as he listlessly admired the rain for which Rain Country was famous. Apparently a unit of Hidden Leaf ninja and a unit of Hidden Rock ninja had clashed in Nagato's village, leveling it to the ground as was the usual. It was deplorable that this small, peaceful country had become a war-scarred wasteland in just a few years...and it would never be the same. There were so many children like Nagato...so many without a place to go or people to support them. And they would just eventually add to the always rising body count. That was why he had saved Nagato when he had found him. He couldn't help all of the orphans but he'd be damned if he didn't help one. He didn't really know what he was gonna do with the boy yet...but he wasn't going to let him die. For now he would protect him, and maybe he would even teach the boy how to protect himself. He had the RInnegan after all. A startling revelation indeed, but in reality something that needed to be kept secret. If word of this spread, the five Kage themselves would come after this boy. No, he wouldn't let that happen. He would tell no one of this. Not even Tsunade or Orochimaru.

"Eh, Tsunade will find out anyway." He chuckled to himself as he sealed up the weapons cache. Nagato would be asleep for quite some time, he was sure. He had a few errands to run but he would definitely be back before the boy awoke. Unless he ran into another orphan of course.

XxX

**A/N: Alright got that one out pretty quick. I woulda had it out faster but then someone emailed me about the beta request (which is still open by the way) and so i was waiting for them but then they said it wouldnt be out til like the third week of May and i was like well i actually got it done fast this time so I'll give it to my patient fans. Thats a really long sentence.**

**Anyhoo, I think that by now we're past the halfway point, so things will start to wrap up somewhat soon. I'm considering what fights I need to put in still. I got a few ideas, ones that hopefully aren't too ridiculous, but i have to try and beat the last big fight somehow right? I'm sure I'll be able to keep you entertained. **

**The Extra Content is kinda interesting, but really i just couldn't think of anything better. I don't think I'll do History of Akatsuki part 2 next chap because I wanna split it up. But we'll see. Anyway I hope you enjoyed. Peace.**


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Parting Clouds

Naruto's clothes fluttered in the wind as he trudged along the bank of the Tsuchikiri RIver. He was getting close to the border now, and if he didn't find this gold mine soon he was going to have to set up camp for the night. He doubted spies appreciated when you visited them while they were asleep. As he moved along, he noticed that a much tinier tributary branched off of the river, and he decided to follow it. After a few minutes he came upon a small hut that was blowing smoke out of its top and what looked like a caved in mine. He approached the hut and rapped his knuckles on the door before it swung open, and he was greeted by a scraggly looking man.

"Who the hell're you?" He asked suspiciously, his eyes narrowing.

"Naruto Namikaze of the HIdden Leaf. I'm sure you know my Uncle Jiraiya." The blonde answered. The man's eyes widened before a large smile crossed his face.

"Oh! Why didn't ye say so me boy? Come in come in." The man ushered him in and closed the door behind him. "Let me get a bottle of sake." Naruto walked over to one of the two stone chairs in the apartment and sat down in it. The man returned with the bottle and two saucers, setting them down on a small stone table between the two chairs. He filled them both and knocked his back before filling his again. "So what brings ya to me humble abode boy? Name's Booretsu by the way." Naruto nodded.

"Yes, Jiruuchi told me as much." Booretsu'e brow rose at the mention of Jiruuchi.

"Jiruuchi ya say hmm? Been a damndest long time since I seen him. Been a damndest long time since I seen anyone really." Booretsu stated with a shrug.

"I'm looking for a girl named Mabui. She's the secretary of the Raikage, and she was recently kidnapped by an unknown man allied with Hanzo. The only thing we know about this man is that he is also the man that killed Jiraiya." Boorestsu's eyes widened.

"Some fucked up kinda coincidence there..." The spy mumbled under his breath, "...but I haven't heard nothing bout that. Hell I ain't seen no Cloud ninja since the Second Ninja World War." Naruto rolled his eyes.

"I'm more looking for the guy than her. He can lead me to her and I also have a score to settle with him. The only thing I know about him is that he can use Fire Style techniques that produce some kind of super hot green fire." Booretsu cocked his head at that.

"You say green fire m'boy? Never heard a no shit like that I tell you...hmm wait maybe I have once." Naruto's eyes widened. "Yes it was back durin the second war, I was a Special Jonin for Hidden Rock. I don't remember the finer details, but I know we was in Rain Country. We was ambushed, Kentako dropped like a sack of shit, and I substituted meself in time to see the rest of me platoon go up in green flames. I never did see the faces of those men, but I knows they was from Hidden Rain. They wasn't wearin no headbands but they fought like Rain ninja." Naruto was a little creeped out by this man at this point, but he had to admit it was a good story if not slightly entertaining. He liked the part about the guy dropping like a sack of shit. But it was good information too.

"What makes you think they were Rain ninja?" Naruto asked skeptically.

"They had to be. Not no one else knows the land like they do, and Rain country was a shit creek if ya know what I mean. Leaf, Rock and Sand ninja all had a disadvantage in Rain Country; woulda been a damn dumb idea to set an ambush there." Booretsu explained, earning a nod from Naruto.

"Interesting. Doesn't answer any questions though..." Naruto sighed and summoned a Toad before writing something down on a piece of paper and handing it to the creature. "Find Jiruuchi. He's a farmer in a village a few miles south of Hidden Rock." The toad nodded and hopped away out the window. The blonde turned to Booretsu. "Thank you Booretsu, but I must be going. I've been away for long enough and my men are probably wondering what kind of general I am." He was gone in a flash after that, leaving the old man to his sake.

XxX

"Just received word from Neji of the advance team! Setsugorana is clear of all enemy troops." Another Hyuuga with short black hair announced as his bloodline honed in on his kin.

"It's empty?" Shikamaru questioned. "Are you telling me they retreated?" His tone was full of disbelief.

"It appears so sir." Shikamaru seemed surprised by the turn of events, but he nodded and dismissed the Hyuuga.

"Very well." He turned around and made a beeline for his tent, where he knew Kakashi was waiting for him. As he entered he was surprised to see Kakashi was not alone. Well, not really. "Just acquired news that the rest of the enemy force in Setsugorana has retreated, no siege necessary. I'm a little skeptical." The Nara's eyes shifted from Kakashi to his other guest. "Hello Temari."

"You're always skeptical. Just for once accept it for what it is: a victory." The blonde replied, ignoring his greeting.

"Nothing is ever as it seems. If I didn't question everything we'd be dead already." Shikamaru replied, earning a sigh from Temari. "Anyway I wanted to go over our next course of action Kakashi." The silver-haired Hokage nodded. "From here we head northwest towards the capital, and after one final obstacle we'll be ready to assault the capital." Shikamaru walked over to a desk with a map of the Elemental Nations on top, prompting his guests to follow. "Here, Boognish Temple. It's a sect of orthodox monks who worship the Boognish, whatever that is. But they're dangerous, and they don't fight like ninja do. Forget Tsunankan, I think this is going to be the most challenging battle of the war." The Nara explained, studying the map intensely.

"We can't bypass the temple?" Kakashi asked, searching for a way around.

"We could, but it would add an extra week onto our travel time, and we would have to travel across a field of volcanic rock." Shikamaru replied with a sigh, pointing at the lava field on the map. "Not really ideal."

"Guess not." Kakashi scratched his head. "Alright, I'll start preparing the men to move out, you relay the plans to Gaara and Yahiko." Kakashi walked out of the tent after that, leaving only Temari and Shikamaru.

"You can tell those two later."

"Planned on it."

XxX

"About time you got back." Naruto rolled his eyes at Sasuke's greeting.

"Why don't I ever get a nice greeting from you. 'Oh hey Naruto good to see you're alive!' or 'Naruto, my best friend, how are you today?'" Sasuke's brow rose an inch and Tenzo looked between the both of them.

"You two sound like an old married couple." Sasuke's head whipped to the side and Tenzo almost shit his pants from the intensity of the glare, while Naruto just laughed.

"That's fine but you're the girl because of how much time you spend on your looks." Naruto sated, causing the glare to be redirected towards him, but he just shrugged. "Anyway, status report." Tenzo nodded.

"We've blocked off all entryway into Hidden Cloud, and all merchant caravans are being turned around as you requested. Other than that nothing's changed." Naruto nodded.

"Good enough for now. I guess the next step is-" Naruto stopped as his head suddenly turned to the right and started to stare through the tent wall and into space. Sasuke eyed him in slight confusion but focused his senses in that directiong. He felt a ping of some potent, familiar chakra. Tailed Beast chakra. "You feel that?" The blonde asked, earning a nod from Sasuke. "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure. I can feel a small amount of Tailed Beast chakra...but that doesn't make sense. It doesn't even feel like one tail of power." The Uchiha analyzed, earning a nod from Naruto.

"Exactly. I think it's being suppressed, which means that not only is there a large battle going on right now, but the guy who started it is strong enough to keep it hidden from me for that long." Naruto closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them they were emblazoned with the Mark of the Sage. "I'm heading to the village. Sasuke come with me, Tenzo if you feel an explosion of power I want you to bring in the cavalry and attack whatever I'm attacking. Got it?" Tenzo nodded and Naruto quickly exited the tent, his teammate right behind him.

XxX

It had been quite some time now since the battle with Naruto Namikaze, but Yugito still felt a bit sore, which was quite rare for a Jinchuriki. She wanted to get back to training more than ever now; she clearly had a long way to go before she was on her mentor's or kage's level, let alone Namikaze's. Her Tailed Beast made her strong, but she needed to be stronger. She relied on the Two-Tails for most of her strength, which was a problem. Especially when the beast felt just as beat up as the person. Suddenly, Yugito felt the insurmountable urge to run.

"Hello Two-Tails." She whipped around to see a cloaked man with his hand outstretched to her face. Swirling green fire started to form in his hand and Yugito was instantly sent flying back from a blast of green fire. Yugito skipped across the street, startling the bustling citizens as they tried to escape the area. Four BOLT operatives jumped down around the cloaked man, katanas poised at his throat.

"Surrender now or your life is forfeit." One of the BOLT members ordered, the tip of his sword sparking with yellow electricity. The cloaked man chuckled and one of the BOLT guys charged in, his katana now crackling with violent electricity. He slashed cleanly through the man, except nothing appeared to happen. Then one of the BOLT members dropped, his body sliced in half.

"I think you missed." The BOLT leader was shocked that he had somehow killed his own teammate, but it didn't matter because in the next second all three were dead on the ground, their throats slashed by a fiery dagger. Yugito, now recovered from the blast, jumped back in, here Two-Tailed cloak blazing around her. He hands were like a blur as she slashed and hacked at the man, but he easily avoided her slightly sluggish strikes. He kicked her high into the air and followed her up, flashing through hand signs as he did. He exhaled a cloud of green gas that gave off a deadly hiss, causing Yugito to scream in pain as he flesh burned. She substituted herself with a log and fell to her knees coughing as the cloaked man landed in front of her. "I heard you were a feisty kitty but I didn't think you were a pussy...cat." He head snapped up and she took a vengeful swing at him, which he only stepped back from. "You bore me. I think it's time I put an end to this."

"Not quite shithead." The cloaked man turned around to see Naruto's foot fly into his face. He was sent tumbling backwards as the blonde and Sasuke ran over to Yugito. "Hey remember us?" She looked up and her eyes widened for a second before she nodded warily.

"How could I forget?" She sighed. "Forget about me for now. Stop that guy before he does anymore damage to the village." Naruto nodded and turned to Sasuke.

"Heal her as much as you can. I have a few things I need to get off my chest." Naruto threw a kunai and disappeared in a flash, leaving a dreamy look on Yugito's face.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine. Although you don't have to get all googly eyed." Yugito's cheeks melted red as she looked away.

"Yeah whatever." Sasuke chuckled as his hands begun to glow green.

"You probably don't have a shot anyway."

XxX

"So I finally get to meet you again." Naruto and the cloaked man stood across from each other, Naruto glaring at him with determined intensity that called for his death. "I'm going to kill you." The cloaked man chuckled.

"So you say. But what makes you think you can if your Uncle can't?" He asked tauntingly.

"I don't think. Thinking comes from not knowing. And I know I'm going to kill you." Naruto was in his face a moment later, a Rasengan blazing his his hand and revenge blazing in his eyes. The man appeared behind him with his hand full of compact green fire, but Naruto warped away and flashed through hand signs. "Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!" A large swamp of deadly, murky mud appeared around the area, slowly devouring the man. He simply let a pulse of lightning chakra run through him and he hopped out of the swamp, only for Naruto to appear next to him with a Rasengan in each hand. "Rasengan Barrage!" The man skillfully contorted in the air so that the two Rasengan barely missed him, shredding part of his cloak, and he kicked Naruto away. The shoulder of his cloak had been torn away, revealing a pale white arm.

"I don't have time to deal with you today Namikaze, so I'll retreat for now. But just know that soon, not even you will be safe." The man disappeared after that, leaving a confused and very disappointed Naruto.

XxX

Sasuke, Naruto, Yugito and Ei all sat around the Raikage's desk in his office. It seemed a little odd for enemies to be convening around a table but under the current circumstances...well nothing would be that weird.

"So you think he's after the Tailed Beasts Yugito?" Ei asked. She shrugged.

"Just a theory really, but the first thing he said to me was 'Hello Two-Tails.' It's not necessarily a secret that Hidden Cloud has the Two-Tails Jinchuriki but I'm pretty sure my picture isn't in any bingo book. I believe he has a way to track the Tailed-Beasts, and that's his goal." She explained.

"What would he do with the Tailed-Beasts? And if he is really after the Tailed-Beasts then what's his connection to Hanzo." Ei asked. "It almost seems like he has his own agenda."

"He probably does. My guess would be either Hanzo really works for him, or he has no affiliation with Hanzo." Sasuke suggested.

"No affiliation with Hanzo? That would be preposterous. Then that would mean we were fighting this war for nothing." Ei seethed. Sasuke just shrugged.

"It's a possibility."

"You're getting ahead of us Sasuke." Naruto stated, sending him a look of warning. "For now we still have to go under the assumption that he is an ally of Hanzo. Think it could be the man with the stolen Sharingan?" The blonde asked, earning a head shake from Sasuke.

"Unlikely at this point. Like I said before, I saw him and I don't think he's hiding anymore." The Uchiha explained, earning a nod. Naruto scratched his head and lowered it.

"Well, the green fire is still all we have to go by then." The blonde stood up and slowly started to pace the room. "Ei, you're done with this war." The Raikage nodded.

"Agreed. From today on we are allies with the Leaf." Ei stated.

"Good. Then I have a request. May I use Yugito?" Ei looked at Naruto skeptically and the blonde boy laughed. "Sorry that sounded sexual."

"I don't think she'd mind." Sasuke stated cooley, causing Yugito's eyes to go wide as saucers. Naruto chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"Sure about that pretty boy?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed and Naruto laughed again. "Don't blame me for your vanity." The Uchiha rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I think it's about time we took the fight to Hanzo. I'd like to coordinate a final all out assault on the Earth Capital with Kakashi and my army, but I'll be leading a small team straight to Hanzo." Ei seemed to ponder the plan before nodding.

"Fine with me. Yugito, you heard the man." The blonde Cloud ninja nodded and stood.

"As you command Lord Raikage. Shall we be off then?" Naruto looked over at Sasuke and they both nodded. "Then lead the way."

XxX

"Seems odd for someone to carry a bloody rag around." Naruto's head shot up and his eyes widened like a deer in headlights when he saw Yugito staring at him, or more specifically, the object in his hand.

"I'm an odd guy." One of her brows raised as she sighed and sat down next to him.

"Who did it belong to?" Naruto looked at her questioningly. "The cloth." He looked down at Ryuuzetsu's headband and sighed.

"Someone from the past. But that's where she'll always be, and that's where she has to stay." He slipped the headband into his pocket. He noticed Yugito's unsatisfied glare and ran his hand through his hair. "I'm not sure I like this interrogation."

"You just need to loosen up." She almost purred her response, and Naruto wondered if that had to do with her Tailed-Beast or not.

"Not until this war's over. It's close...I can feel it. But I still have a lot of work to do." He met her eyes and she recognized his intensity from their fight. She shook her head.

"You're definitely odd..." She stood and stretched her back. "Most ninja would jump at the chance to relax."

"I'm a sage, I'm always relaxed." He flashed her a foxy grin. "I'm one with nature."

"You sound like a hippy."

"A what?"

"Nevermind." She smiled back. "I'm gonna get some sleep. I'd suggest you do the same but you probably won't listen." He flashed another smile. "Later fox boy." Naruto watched her turn around and sashay away, chuckling to himself as she did. She was definitely interesting.

"Shikamaru's right; women are troublesome."

XxX

"You feel that Kakashi?" Shikamaru asked as he and the other leaders sat around the map.

"Yeah, that's Naruto's chakra signature." As the words left his mouth there was a brilliant orange flash, and Naruto, Sasuke and Yugito appeared in the room.

"Long time no see." Shikamaru and Kakashi stood and walked over to their teammate.

"Too long. But what are you doing here?" Kakashi asked.

"I have a lot to explain, so I suggest you sit down. Oh, and what's up guys?" Naruto waved at the three leaders of Rain, who greeted him with warm smiled.

"Good to see you back Naruto." Yahiko stated with a nod.

"I was worried about you for a bit little brother." Nagato added with a grin.

"Nothin to worry about anymore. Well not in relation to me anyway." His face turned serious. "I've made contact with the man who killed my Uncle." Kakashi's eye widened.

"Really?" Naruto nodded. "Well that's just great. Mysterious assholes from the past are just popping up all over the place aren't they?" He muttered.

"Apparently." Naruto responded. "Sasuke told me about the man with the stolen Sharingan. And apparently it all goes back to Hanzo. You see my Uncle's assassin is an agent of Hanzo, and he's the reason that we're fighting Hidden Cloud. He blackmailed them. His most recent act of bullshit was attacking my friend Yugito here, who is Jinchuriki of the Two-Tails." That elicited some kind of surprised response from the group. "We think his goal is to collect the Tailed-Beasts, and his agenda may be slightly different from Hanzo's. We considered the possibility that he's actually of a neutral party and he's using Hanzo to get to Hidden Cloud, but it's just a theory. For now our next action should be a direct assault on the Earth Capital and Hanzo." He finished explaining his plan and Shikamaru cleared his throat.

"We still have to pass through the Boognish Temple before we reach the capital, which will be a battle in itself." Naruto thought for a beat.

"Okay, well then continue as planned. Fow now Yugito and I will scour the continent for any sign or information on my Uncle's assassin. How long do you think it will take you to reach the Earth Capital?" The blonde asked.

"I'd say about two-to-three weeks." Shikamaru replied. "If everything goes as planned."

"Fine. Then in three weeks we'll all meet up in the Earth Capital. Shikamaru, I'd like to come up with an infiltration startegy with you as soon as possible, but right now I'd like some sake." He sat at one of the empty chairs and pulled a scroll out of his pocket, unsealing the bottle of sake and exact amount of saucers needed. "Sake anyone?"

XxX

**A/N: Well smoke my weed and fuck my wife I bet you're all surprised. So I just wanna apologize for that first. I'm a lazy stoner. Not an excuse really but that doesn't mean I'm gonna do anything about it either. **

**So I finally got so pissed at myself that I started writing this again. I will finish it. In fact it's really almost over, much faster than i saw it coming. I guess that's kinda how it works though. But I just wanna thank all of the people who kept reading and reviewing and favoriting and all that shit because it's awesome. It really is, I'm still baffled that there are people that like my work but it seems like thats a part of the writing process. Most people dont like their own work anyway i heard, but it's because of you guys that I kept going. I mean I just felt like such an asshole everytime someone new reviewed. So I finally finished this godforsaken chapter. I hope it was up to your standards, and I hope it was interesting enough. I think that most of these last chapters will be pretty intense, so i hope I dont fuck it up. **

**Also I know there's a shitton of really stupid mistakes in there, but I'm too lazy to fix it. For instance, I know that a lot of words have the first two letters capital like 'THis' instead of 'This' but thats cuz my shift sticks. And I'm too lazy to fix it. Also I just type too fast so I misspell a lot of shit. Basically I'm asking for an editor. I think it would bring you guys a better experience to be able to read it without going 'what the fuck is that supposed to be' because i know it was annoying for me. So if any of you wanna pick up my slack that'd be great XD.**

**Anyway I hope you enjoyed. The next one will be out somewhat soon I promise. I just started writing a movie so that's my priority right now but sometimes my roommate gets lazy too so I'll always have time for this. Thanks for reading. Peace.**


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40: The Boognish

"How much longer til we reach this temple Shikamaru?" Temari asked as their small party stalked through the woods. Her, Shikamaru, Kakashi and Sasuke were a bit ahead of the army, leading the attack on the temple. The lone trail to the temple wound through a luscious forest full of wildlife.

"Not much. You should be able to smell the torch fires by now." Shikamaru answered, causing Temari to sniff the air and nod to herself.

"Exactly how many of these monks are there?" Kakashi asked, scratching his mask. Shikamaru shrugged.

"Not sure. They're a pretty secretive sect. It would probably be easier to infiltrate Hidden Rock than this Temple. Ironic isn't it?" The Nara shook his head. "The Hidden Villages aren't quite so hidden." Sasuke turned towards his teammate.

"I'm gonna stop you there before you start ranting about politics."

"It's all politics…" Shikamaru muttered.

"Halt!" The foursome came to a stop as a lone man impeded their path. He was short and bald, with tan skin. He wore a simple green and white robe with the sash loosely tied. "Foreign ninja are not permitted in these lands. I will give you one warning. Heed it and leave unscathed, or brush it aside and embrace your deaths." Shikamaru's brow rose.

"I gotta admit, if I had met this dude five years ago, that speech would have scared me shitless." The monk tensed and as Shikamaru stepped forward, he did too.

"Wha-" Neji appeared behind him, and in a second, delivered four deadly Gentle FIst strikes to the monk. The rest of the army dropped down from the trees of the forest.

"What are your orders Lord Hokage?" Gaara asked as he approached the four.

"Attack the temple. Pretty straightforward. Neji, you stay with me." The Hyuuga nodded and walked over to the Hokage as Gaara signaled for the army to move out. They moved as one to the temple, leaving the last five behind.

"I plan on infiltrating the temple." Sasuke stated aloud. "Create some kind of opening for me."

"Does he always order everyone around?" Temari asked.

"He just doesn't know how to ask nicely." Shikamaru answered. "We got you covered." The Uchiha, Nara and Kakashi nodded at each other. "Let's get going. it'd look bad if we showed up and it was over."

XxX

"So where exactly are we heading?" Yugito asked as she and Naruto, draped in cloaks, wandered the countryside.

"The Village Hidden in the Mist. The Mizukage is a Jinchuriki much like ourselves, as I'm sure you are aware. I've met him before, and i like him. So we're going to warn him about our mystery assailant. After that, we head to Rain Country. I finally found a piece of information that isn't completely useless, so any lead is worth investigating. I've also sent a clone back to Lightning Country to speak with my Co-Commander and the Raikage. They should start moving towards Hidden Rock any day now." Naruto explained.

"Okay, so why are we walking?" Yugito asked pointedly.

"I'm the fastest man in the world. I don't really get to see the land as i travel across it. I don't even travel across it, I go through it in some ridiculous way my father understood a hell of a lot more than I do." Yugito laughed. "Seriously! I just want to relax for once. I've probably traveled all over the continent, but I haven't seen any of it. I'd like to change that."

"Whatever you say, you're the boss. So we take a boat to the Hidden Mist Village then?" She asked as the sun started to drop below the horizon.

"We don't have that kind of time. It should only take us a day or so to run across the ocean. You're up for that right?" Yugito rolled her eyes at his nonchalance.

"Apparently. Even for a Jinchuriki you're a bit insane." He grinned.

"It's the only reason I'm alive." He chuckled. "C'mon it's going to get dark soon. Let's go make a cave."

XxX

The rays of the setting sun glinted off of the steel of the ninjas' weapons as they zipped through the air like flies. It was quiet for a battlefield; the sound of steel clashing with steel was absent, as well as the sound of steel cutting flesh. Only the hundreds of 'wooshing' noises from the whizzing blades echoed through the air as the ninja's fruitlessly attempted to strike the monks. The monks themselves wielded no weapons, and they seemed to have no trouble avoiding them as well. It was almost comical.

"What the fuck is going on?" Shikamaru asked as he and his team arrived on the scene.

"I'm not sure, but it looks like we literally can't even touch them." Kakashi answered.

"None of them are attacking either." Neji stated, seeing the entire battlefield with his bloodline. "Only defending….flawlessly." Shikamaru took the time to look around, seeing as he could. There was a surprising amount of the Boognish worshippers against his comrades, although not nearly enough to match. But more seemed to pour out endlessly from the enormous temple. The temple itself was much more grand than Shikamaru imagined. It was enormous, possibly as large as the Hokage Mountain. Definitely home to a sizeable force of monks.

"There's the door Sasuke. You ready?" Shikamaru asked.

"Ready." Shikamaru and Sasuke ran forward, Kakashi trailing behind them. As they approached the gates of the temple, a group of monks jumped in front of the gates and slammed their hands on the ground, erecting an ethereal barrier of white light. Temari jumped up from behind them and launched a powerful blast of wind at the barrier, but it crashed against the barrier uselessly. Sasuke pulled his blades out and charged them with chakra, dashing at the barrier swiftly. Kakashi caught up to him, two Raikiri crackling in his hands, and they both slammed into the barrier, causing a ripple of electricity to arc through the air. The barrier flickered and shattered as the horde of monks powering it were sent flying backwards. They charged through the broken barricade and through the gates into the courtyard, where more monks impeded them. In front of each monk a pillar of light rose, creating a solid wall three rows and ten columns large. Sasuke and Kakashi jumped up, attempting to vault over the wall, when two beams of light struck both of them from the sky. They crashed to the ground violently, and as the dust cleared their comrades caught up to them.

"That fucking hurt." Kakashi stated.

"What was that?" Shikamaru asked, staring at the white pillars.

"Not sure, but it's strong. And it burns." Sasuke answered. "We need to take that down. They seem content with letting us try."

"They're not aggressive at all. No blood has been shed yet." Neji stated, his Byakugan still blazing.

"Any ideas Kakashi?" Sasuke asked, sheathing his blades. The Hokage shrugged.

"We're ninja, we don't fight fair." Suddenly Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke and emerged from the ground behind the defending monks. "Water Style: Water Dragon Missile!" He conjured a dragon of water and sent it at the group of monks, scattering them across the courtyard. The group advanced, and as they ascended the stairs towards the cathedral-like door, a horde of the Boognish worshippers jumped at them from all sides.

"Heavenly Spin!" A large ball of rotating chakra sprouted up around the party, repelling the onslaught of monks. As the rotating ball of chakra dissipated, Sasuke finished a sequence of hand seals.

"Chidori Comet!" His body erupted with blue electricity and he surged forward, crashing into the doors to the temple. They blew open and Sasuke landed inside safely as a barrier of white light, far brighter than all of the others, appeared in the doorway, separating him from his comrades and effectively trapping him. He looked around the ornately decorated room, slowly drawing his blades. He felt no one in the immediate area, but he could feel some odd source of potent power somewhere in the temple. It was hard to pinpoint it though. He slowly started to explore the temple, noticing all of the extremely odd statues and paintings. Whoever made these wasn't in their right mind.

He finally came to a room with a pool of clear, glistening liquid in the center with one monk sitting in a meditative position in front of it. This monk was much older than the rest, and his robes were much more significant. He was clearly some kind of high acolyte, possibly even their master. Slowly the monk stood as Sasuke approached him.

"You have set foot in our sacred temple...such sacrilege will be punished." He slowly stated, his hood blocking most of his face.

"I care not for sacrilege. You're in our way." The Uchiha replied stoically.

"Way to what? More bloodshed? More death? You are all naught but harbingers of death, slowly sucking the life from this planet. You are all so tiny and insignificant, you have no idea. Your petty squabbles and materialistic views have turned our world into Hell itself. You are a plague that needs to be annihilated before it can engulf the world." The man's ranting was calm and even, like he was so sure. Sasuke was getting frustrated.

"Enough!" He dashed forward, his swords bursting with blue electricity, when a hand of pure white light descended on his and grabbed hold of him, effectively trapping him. "What the fuck?"

"You will listen arrogant child. The Boognish commands it. For too long you ninja have wreaked havoc and chaos in our world. The time for your extermination has come. We will eradicate you, and truly bring peace to this world." The monk slowly walked over to the pool of clear liquid and knelt down next to it. He took a long, silky piece of cloth and lightly soaked it in the water before picking up a long, thin rock that seemed to be stained red. He took the rock and sliced open his forehead, tying the silk around the wound. He stood and turned back around. "Prepare to live your next life shinobi." Slowly, the man's pupils grew until they blacked out his entire eye. Sasuke activated his Sharingan and the hand gripping him disappeared. Two beams of ethereal light sprouted from the monks hands and Sasuke charged in at him, starting a brilliant battle of blades.

XxX

"What just happened?" Shikamaru asked as the rest of the party eyed the wall of light.

"I think Sasuke is trapped in there. That one looks really bright, which I assume means it's much stronger than the other." Kakashi surmised.

"Great. Well then there's nothing we can do for now. Might as well join the fray."

XxX

"Commander Tenzo." The wood style user was startled at the call of his name, and he turned around to see none other than his General.

"General sir! You've returned." Naruto laughed sheepishly.

"About that, I'm actually just a clone. The boss is heading to Water Country right now. His orders were for you to designate a new commander and send him on his way back to the leaf with this company in tow, and for you and one other shinobi to meet him on the edge of the ocean in three days time." Tenzo took a moment to process all of this information before nodding astutely.

"Right away General." Tenzo saluted and the clone dispersed. Tenzo exited his tent and walked around the camp and into another tent, where Genma Shiranui, Asuma Sarutobi and Hayate Gekkou were relaxing.

"How goes it Tenzo?" Asuma asked as he puffed on a cigarette.

"New orders. Asuma, you're in charge from now on. It's time to go home." They all seemed taken aback.

"Go home? As in we're done here?" Asuma asked, earning a nod from Tenzo.

"General Namikaze's orders. Victory is sweet boys. Unfortunately, not all of us are going home." Tenzo eyed Hayate and Genma, who both nodded. "The three of us will head to the border of the Land of Fire in three days and wait for General Namikaze on the shore."

"So what does that mean for us exactly?" Genma asked.

"Not quite sure, but good things I believe. Either way, we should get a move on. The men will be happy to hear the news."

XxX

It has long since descended into the night time now, and the battle in front of the temple was still raging. Well, raging as hard as it had before that is. By this point, most of the shinobi had gathered into a group for protection, and neither side was doing much at all. Occasionally one of the ninja would launch some kind of technique, but it would be easily deflected by the monks power. Even Kakashi and Shikamaru weren't doing much by this point, just observing what they would describe as the oddest battle they ever fought in. There was simply no way past the monks' defenses. What they lacked in power they made up for in fortitude.

"You have a plan?" Kakashi asked his pupil, who simply shrugged.

"For once, no. My head is so foggy...but so clear at the same time. I'm not sure what it is, I can't explain it, but ever since we engaged these monks my mind has been working differently…" Kakashi eyed him oddly. "...like I said I can't explain it."

"I feel it too. Although I'm not sure that's how I'd describe it. I don't feel like anything is wrong, just different." The Hokage responded. Suddenly, the roof to the temple exploded, and a guttural roar pierced the air.

"What the hell…?"

XxX

Sasuke and the Monk master were evenly matched with their swordplay. Strike for strike their blades met and clashed, neither finding an opening. Sasuke's had been baffled to find out that with his Sharingan, he actually _couldn't _see the ethereal blades of light. They weren't chakra at all; they were something else entirely. But he was sure the monk hadn't caught on yet, seeing as he could still read every strike perfectly.

"You are quite skilled young one. Determined as well. A shame you waste such attributes on violence." The monk stated, backing off for a moment. "On blasphemy."

"I don't care much for your opinions. They won't change mine." The monk chuckled at Sasuke's words.

"Admirable indeed. So be it." The blades of light disappeared and the monk's entire body started to glow. "You will know the wrath of the Boognish." His body exploded with light, shooting into the sky, blowing the roof off of the temple. Lightning rained down around the cathedral as powerful gusts of wind tore through the forest, causing the battle outside to come to a temporary halt. A piercing screech reverberated through the air, and slowly it turned into a raucous laughter. Sasuke quickly exited the temple via hole in the roof and rejoined his teammates outside.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked.

"Not sure. More of that light and then suddenly the roof is gone." The Uchiha explained. The laughter grew louder and as the dust cleared, the group's hopes dropped. A giant, humanoid like creature with spiky yellow hair and a toothy smile on its face was glaring at them.

"MACH TEN AT SUDDEN SPEED!" The voice boomed over the landscape, sounding as if it had been said through a microphone.

"What is that thing?" Shikamaru asked, a look of slight fear coming over his face.

"BELLIGERENT SONUVABITCH!"

"And why is it cursing us?" Sasuke asked, eyeing the creature.

"IT"S GONNA BE A LONG NIGHT!" Suddenly a huge hand came flying down at the group, and they barely had time to get out of the way. A hand sized imprint was left in the earth. "YOU'RE GONNA SUFFER, YOU'RE GONNA BLEED!"

"What the fuck!" Shikamaru shouted in pure shock.

"It's bigger than any summon I've ever seen before." Kakashi stated hopelessly. Suddenly a spear of light crashed next to the two, blowing them away. Two logs took their places. They regrouped on top of what was left of the temple.

"Shikamaru...now would be a good time for you to start using your head!" Sasuke gritted, holding his arm. Blood dripped down his side.

"Sorry...I got nothin. Let's just hit it with everything we've got." The Nara put forth with a shrug.

"It'll have to do. Sasuke, do you think you could combine your Amaterasu control with any other elements?" The Uchiha shrugged.

"I'm sure a wind attack would power it up just fine." Kakashi nodded.

"Alright, when I give the signal, you fire your most concentrated blast of Amaterasu you can at that...thing." The Uchiha nodded. He turned to Temari. "At the same time, you blast him with the densest blast of wind you can muster." The blonde kunoichi nodded. "Alright. Let's get it's attention." Suddenly, a giant hand of sand emerged from the ground and crashed into the giant creature's face.

"GOD DAMN PIECE OF SHIT!"

"I think Gaara took care of that." Shikamaru stated. Kakashi nodded.

"Good enough for me. Now!" About thirty or so Shadow Clones appeared around Kakashi as Sasuke's eyes morphed intot he pattern of the Mangekyo Sharingan, and an arrow of black flames shot forth from his eye. A second later, Temari unleashed a torrent of wind behind it, causing the flames to swell with heat. Finally, Kakashi finished a sequence of hand seals. "Lightning Style: Lightning Beast Mega Rampage!" The beast of electricity crashed into the arrow seconds before it hit the giant creature, causing it to explode with orange arcs of electricity that crashed to the ground and melted through the earth.

"LAAAAAAUUUUURA!" An explosion of blue and silver energy eclipsed the sky, and then it was silent. The Boognish worshippers seemed to be shocked and horrified.

"I think we got it…" Kakashi stated after a few more moments of silence. "Holy fuck…"

"Be amazed later. We still have a battle to win." Sasuke stated, unsheathing his swords once more. He hopped off of the temple back into the fray, his teammates following shortly.

XxX

The trip over the ocean had taken an entire day, as Naruto had predicted. After their somewhat tiring journey they rested for the night on the edge of the Land of Water. And now they were approaching the gates to the Hidden Mist, their hoods now down to ward off suspicion. As they approached, three Mist ANBU appeared in front of them.

"The Mizukage has been expecting you Namikaze." Naruto's brow rose at the mention of his name, but shrugged and motioned for Yugito to relax.

"Take me to him." The ANBU nodded and opened the village gates, leading the two blondes into the village. They walked for a bit until they were led through the Mizukage Tower straight into Yagura's office.

"Naruto, it's been many years since I last saw you." Yagura greeted with a smile. Please, come sit." Naruto waved his hand.

"We really don't have time to exchange pleasantries unfortunately. Today I come to you with a warning." Naruto stated apologetically. Yagura seemed confused.

"A warning?"

"Yes. Let me introduce you to my friend Yugito, a kunoichi of the Hidden Cloud and Jinchuriki of the Two-Tailed Demon Cat." Yugito shot Naruto a stunned look but he waved his hand. "Yugito here was attacked by an unidentified assailant not too long ago. An unidentified assailant who turns out to be my Uncle Jiraiya's assassin. When he targeted Yugito, he made it pretty clear that he was after more than just Yugito." Naruto explained, Yagura's eyes lighting up in understanding.

"He wanted her Tailed Beast." Naruto nodded. "Troubling. Any idea why?" The blonde shook his head.

"Not a clue. He's an enigma, as are his motives." Naruto stated. Yagura nodded.

"Well then, thank you for the warning I suppose. I'll certainly have my ANBU-" Before he could finish his sentence, the roof to the Mizukage Tower was vaporized, leaving the office wide open. A single cloaked man dropped into the room from the sky.

"You didn't go and tell all of your friends what I did, did you Naruto? Bad boy." As a low chuckle emanated from the man's lips, Naruto's eyes bled red.

"Bastard…"

"Who are you?" Yagura shouted. "Answer or incur the wrath of three Jinchuriki!"

"It's him Yagura. The man I was telling you about." Naruto stated, causing Yagura's eyes to widen.

"You _were_ talking about me! And Yugito, a pleasure to see you again." Yugito's eyes narrowed. "Not gonna bite this time?"

"Shut up. You're outnumbered and overpowered here. Do you really think you have a chance?" Naruto asked, the Mark of the Sage now appearing around his eyes. The man just laughed.

"Well, I've always wanted to find out." The rest of the Mizukage Tower was annihilated by explosive tags as the man jumped through the open roof. Naruto, Yugito and Yagura barely escaped the explosion to the ground below as a hail of stone rained down on them. The cloaked man appeared at Yagura's side instantly, his hand blazing with green fire. The Mizukage was sent rocketing backwards by the attack, only to melt away into water. The real Yagura came flying down at the cloaked man, a hooked staff now in his hand. He wielded it like a bowstaff, twirling it around like a propeller, barely missing the cloaked assailant each time. Jiraiya's assassin grabbed the staff with his hand as it flew at his face, ripping it from Yagura's grip and smacking him away with it.

"Wind Style: Rasenshuriken!" The man whipped around to see a whirling shuriken of energy tearing at him. In barely a second, he conjured a similarly shaped cluster of green fire in his hand and hurled it at the Rasenshuriken. They collided, and a twister of green, deadly fire swirled up where they impacted, destroying everything in the area. As the smoke cleared, Naruto was too shocked to react fast enough to the assailants fist, and he was sent tumbling backward from the force of the fist. He coughed as he stood and released a burst of wind to clear the smoke from the blast. He saw Yugito on the ground some distance away, seemingly unconscious. Yagura was in no better condition either, barely standing with the help of his staff he recovered at some point. This man was annihilating them so easily. The man was casually standing between the three Jinchuriki facing Naruto. "How the hell did you do that?" The blonde asked between breaths.

"What, you think you're some kind of genius or something? Your tricks are nothing I haven't seen before." Naruto growled at his response, and his eyes shifted red. Before he could react the man was in front of him, his hand outstretched on his stomach. "Divine Beast Repression Seal!" Naruto's eyes widened and he gagged as his eyes went back to blue and he stumbled forward, clutching his stomach in pain. "Can't have you getting angry now can we?" Naruto could barely respond through his pained grunts and gasps, so the cloaked man simply turned away from him and started for Yagura. Naruto watched as Yagura hopelessly put up a last ditch effort to defend himself, already too weak to pull out the power of his Tailed Beast. Naruto concluded that the man must have put the same seal on Yagura. Yagura went down in seconds, but the man did not kill him. Instead he took out a large ornate scroll, and sealed Yagura's body away in it. Naruto passed out as the man left the area; Yugito had been right, this man wanted the tailed beasts.

XxX

Extra Content: History of Akatsuki Part 2

"It's been three days Jiraiya, we need to move on." Jiraiya paced back and forth, avoiding Tsunade's glare. He couldn't leave the area, not with that boy still alone in the cave. But he had no excuse…

"I still believe Hanzo is in the area. Not to mention a good portion of his army." If there was one thing his Uncle taught him, it was to always stick to your bullshit. If you believed your own bullshit, so would everyone else. The art of the bullshit, Jiraiya's Uncle liked to call it. "We should be looking for them."

"We are not at war with Hanzo, Jiraiya." Orochimaru stated. "There is no reason to pursue him. Tell me, is that child doing well?" Jiraiya's eyes widened. "You're terrible at keeping secrets Jiraiya, don't act so surprised." The Toad Sage sighed and shook his head.

"I won't leave that boy." He stated firmly. "We did this to his home. I can't." Tsunade sighed and stepped forward putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Jiraiya...this isn't the time for this. We're at war." She stated softly. He shook his head.

"So then I should just leave him alone in it? I couldn't do that." He couldn't tell them about the boy's eyes. It was too big of a discovery. Orochimaru would do anything to study them, and Tsunade would want to run all sorts of medical tests on the boy. He wouldn't let him become a lab experiment. "You two go on. I'll catch up to you in a few months."

"A few months?! Jiraiya, we don't have that kind of time!" Tsunade exclaimed.

"I just want to teach the boy how to protect him-"

"Oh for the love of-stop with the child of prophecy thing! You really believe what that old Toad said? For fuck's sake Jiraiya, you're not a teacher! You barely know how to take orders, how the hell are you going to give them!"

"I'm damn capable of giving orders! And what would you know? This boy has more potential than you could even dream of. And I'll be damned if I don't give him the chance he deserves." Jiraiya walked away after that, leaving his two lifelong teammates and the Sannin behind.

XxX

"Goddamn Tsunade…" Jiraiya sighed, kicking a stone. He had been wandering aimlessly for a while, not really caring where he went. He'd get back to the kid eventually, but he needed to clear his head first. Suddenly, he heard the sound of metal slicing through air and he ducked. A terribly thrown kunai impacted against a tree three feet away from him and bouncd off of it comically. A young orange haired boy came charging out of the bushes, another kunai in his hand.

"Take this!" The boy lunged at Jiraiya, aiming for his heart when the Toad Sage simply grabbed the boy's wrist, stole the kunai and threw him on the ground.

"Kid, what the hell-"

"Now Konan!" The orange haired boy dashed away suddenly when a rock dropped down on the ground in front of Jiraiya. Upon closer inspection, the rock was actually covered in explosive tags. A lot of them. _Way _too many.

"Oh shit." He barely erected a wall of earth and cloaked himself in his hardened mane before the rock exploded. He wasn't sure if the boy even survived that attack himself, but it was definitely powerful. His wall was in shambles, and his mane was covered in ash and debris. But he was okay.

"That didn't get him! Shit!" Jiraiya looked over to see the orange haired boy and a blue haired girl staring at him in awe. He dusted himself off and approached them slowly.

"It'll take a bit more than that to kill me. For I am…" He smirked as he summoned Gama, the Toad that loved doing his bit just as much as he did, and struck a pose, "...Jiraiya, The Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku!" The children blinked.

"What? So you're not a ninja?" The orange haired one asked. Jiraiya sighed. Kids.

"No, I am. I'm just one of a kind." He flashed them another grin. "Anyway, that was pretty damn good strategy, if not completely stupid and reckless." The boy scratched his head and looked away. "But I like your spirit, so how would you like to be a ninja?" The boy's eyes lit up.

"Really? You'd teach me?" Jiraiya nodded.

"Of course. I assume you two are orphans yes?" They both looked down at that. "So you should learn how to defend yourselves. If you hadn't come across me today, any other ninja may have escaped that trap and killed you both." The boy's eyes widened and he looked at the girl.

"You're right…" He stated quietly. "I almost got us killed…" Jiraiya walked up to him and knelt down in front of him.

"Hey, don't worry about it kid. You shouldn't really play with ninja tools if you don't know how to use them. But that's what I'm here for." The boy smiled and nodded. "Now, you two come with me. There's another boy you have to meet. He will be your brother disciple…"

XxX

**A/N: Finally. That was a good chapter though. Lotsa shit happened.**

**So first I'll just start by saying if you don't get any of the Boognish stuff then that makes sense. You're not really meant to. It's all mindless chatter from a constant stream of consciousness. Fun battle though, the monks were fun to write.**

**The assassin got Yagura. So he is after the Tailed Beasts. He sealed him away too, so you'll see what he does with him next chapter. I assume someone will say something about a plot hole here, but it will be explained next chapter so hold off on that.**

**We're winding down to the end now. I have to reread this and get started on the next chapter soon, but for now I'll attempt to send this to a beta, and if not it'll be up tomorrow. So thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed. Peace.**


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41: A Broken Promise

"Which one is it?" Two men stood next to each other in a dark cave illuminated by a single campfire. One man pulled a scroll out of his cloak and walked around a small stone pillar that served as a desk. He placed the scroll on it.

"The Three Tails. I had a chance to acquire the Two and Nine Tails as well, but I did not think it would be wise to hold three Jinchuriki hostage. They can only stay in these scrolls for so long before they will die." The other cloaked man nodded.

"I agree with your judgement. What is our next course of action then?" The man who had the scroll turned around and was silent for a few moments.

"Namikaze must be dealt with, but his time will come soon. That confrontation is unavoidable." The mood seemed to get tense for a moment. "For now we wait. Let Namikaze exhaust himself and waste his time searching for us and the Raikage's lover. Meanwhile I shall begin preparations to extract the Three-Tails from the Mizukage." The other cloaked man nodded, and the first one vanished.

XxX

Fury. It rushed through his veins like acid. That man...that man was nothing but a nightmare. As if it wasn't personal enough already, now he had taken a Jinchuriki, a Kage no less. And he wasn't likely to stop there. Next it could be Yugito, or Gaara, hell the bastard might go after Naruto. And what a fight that would be.

"Naruto!" Naruto snapped out of his trance and looked over at his feminine counterpart. It was nighttime now, and they had long since left the Hidden Mist Village. Their campsite was located on one of the small islets surrounding the main body of the Land of Water. Recovery was the only thing on their mind. Recovery and revenge.

"Yes?" He answered quietly. She stared at him for a moment before sighing.

"You can't blame yourself."

"I'm not." She half-glared at him.

"Then what's with the look?" It stayed silent for a moment.

"This is the look of a man who knows when he's beat. You fought the same battle I did today. If you can call it that. He made us look like Academy students. I'm not sure I can beat him. He's too powerful." Yugito's eyes widened. And this was coming from the man who was arguably the strongest shinobi alive. I guess that's where the 'arguably' comes in.

"Too powerful? I never thought I'd hear that out of your mouth." He sighed and shook his head.

"Honestly, me neither. But this man killed my Uncle, one of the Legendary Sannin, and that was about thirteen years ago, maybe longer I can't quite remember now...If he were half the shinobi Jiraiya was, then his skill would have tripled in those thirteen years. I don't think there's anyone with the power to compete with him." Naruto explained solemnly. His eyes never left the fire.

"Well, you're gonna have to figure something out, because you're gonna have to do something about it. I mean, if you don't, who will?" She stared at him for a moment and he turned to her.

"I don't plan on giving up Yugito, but I don't plan on surviving that fight either. I think the outcome is inevitable..."

XxX

"I still don't understand why they didn't fight back…" Shikamaru surveyed the area that had been a battlefield. There was not a monk left standing.

"Possibly something that has to do with their beliefs? Either way, it turned out well for us in the end." Sasuke offered with a shrug. "Don't dwell on it." Sasuke walked away then, leaving Shikamaru to stare at the battlefield a moment longer before following.

XxX

It was night time now, and the alliance army was camped a few miles away from the now vacant temple. Shikamaru, Kakashi and Sasuke were sitting around a small table in Kakashi's tent when Yahiko entered.

"Greetings." The three Leaf ninja nodded. "So now only the Earth Capital stands between us and the end of this war."

"If all goes as planned that is." Shikamaru stated. "Say, I haven't seen you or your two partners around in awhile…" Yahiko bowed apologetically.

"Yes, we've had some personal business to attend to in Hidden Rain. Nagato will arrive back in a few days, but Konan must stay in Hidden Rain for the time being. We cannot forget about the civilians who are affected just as much by this war." He explained, earning nods.

"I see. Well, we start marching tomorrow. Hopefully Nagato will be able to catch up." Kakashi drawled.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. He wouldn't miss this for anything."

XxX

The dash across the ocean had been much faster this time, seeing as Naruto was in no mood to mess around. Yugito had to admit she had broken a sweat a few miles back. When they arrived on the shoreline, Naruto came to a halt and made a signal. Three men in Leaf uniforms appeared by his side.

"Glad to see you made it."

"You expected otherwise General?" Tenzo asked mocking hurt.

"Of course not. Genma, Hayate, good to see you." They nodded. "Alright, we don't have time for talk. I'll need to brief you on the situation." They gave no response, which was response enough. "The man who killed my Uncle is now after the Tailed Beasts. In Hidden Mist we encountered him and he was able to easily subdue Yugito, the Mizukage and I." There was noticeable shock on the Leaf ninjas' faces. "He now has possession of the Three Tails. We need to figure out his motives, figure out a way to kill him, and we need to do it fast. We'll be traveling across the country straight to the Earth Capital, which should put us there at the same time as Kakashi if he didn't hit a snag on the way."

"You plan to infiltrate the Earth Capital?" Genma asked.

"Yes. We should be able to make our way in as the rest of our army starts to attack. I'd like to cut the head off before the body can react." A few nods. "Alright, let's get going."

XxX

"Are you sure you'll be able to do this alone?" A cloaked man stood in the center of a dark cavern, torch fires lit all around. In front of him, sitting in a medatative position was another cloaked person. They only offered a nod. "Then Ill be going. There are still eight beasts left, and our opportunity is fast approaching." He looked over at Yagura's prone body, barely alive in a field of suspended animation. "Good luck." He vanished then, leaving his comrade to the sealing.

XxX

Naruto had decided that cutting through Rain Country was the quickest way to their destination, despite the fact that traveling through it sucked. He had gotten used to it, but he knew cats didn't like water…

"I hate you." And right he was.

"I'm sorry! I didn't think the Two-Tail characteristics would carry over like that." He defended.

"Whatever, just remember this-" She was cut off as a blast of green fire tore through the air at them, barely giving them time to move. Naruto cursed as his eyes flashed the Mark of the Sage.

"Dammit! Don't you have anything better to do?" Naruto looked around frantically, noting that all of his comrades were still alive.

"Quite the contrary Naruto. You happen to be bothering me this time. Quite a coincidence that we would happen to meet in Rain Country, hm?" He chuckled. "Well I'm not one to waste such an opportunity." He disappeared and reappeared behind Yugito, but Naruto read his move and substituted with her.

"Not this time." Naruto's fist flew at the assailants face, and he narrowly leaned out of the way. Naruto launched a furious barrage of physical strikes at the man, most of which he easily block or dodged. Soon they were engaged in a fist fight so fast even Yugito could barely keep up with their fists. Finally Naruto landed a hit and the cloaked man was sent skidding backwards. Genma and Hayate both dove at him from behind, swords brandished, but he easily spun around and disarmed them. He took their swords from them and started to hack and slash like a maniac, barely missing the two leaf ninja every time. Yugito stepped in and blew him back with a chakra claw strike, but he weathered it easily. He charged back in, going straight past Yugito at the three Leaf ninja. Tenzo erected a useless barrier of wood that he crushed with ease, only to come face to face with a blazing hot, superpowered fireball, courtesy of Genma and Hayate. His sword suddenly charged with Water Chakra and he slashed through the fireball, creating a steamy haze to blanket the battlefield. Three squelches later, all three Leaf ninja were dead on the ground, and Naruto was horrified. "No…" He looked over to see the man applying the seal once again to Yugito, and he snapped. Red chakra exploded from him, startling the cloaked man. He quickly backed away from Yugito's prone body and a giant claw of chakra smashed in front of him. The cloaked man could barely react as three more claws, from every direction descended upon him. He erected a barrier of earth, but it did little against the monstrous appendages. Naruto continued to smash his body into the earth, until a blast of green fire blew the claw back, and a battered looking assailant jumped out. His cloak was in tatters, but his face was still unseen. A feral Naruto was in his face in a second, but the assailant disappeared without a trace. Naruto continued to wreak havoc in the area until he finally realized the man was not coming back. Slowly he started to calm down and the red chakra ebbed away, until he was left staring at the bodies of his now deceased comrades. The face of Genma's son popped into his mind, and he shook his head. Another promise unkept.

XxX

Extra Content: History of Akatsuki Part 3

The forest was quiet. They were far away from home, out of supplies, tired, and the enemy was hot on their trail. They weren't sure they could make it.

"Yahiko, how's your arm?" Nagato asked as they hid in a thicket. The orange haired boy grimaced as he tried to move it.

"No good. I can't move it." He responded.

"We're sitting ducks then."

"You certainly are." Nagato went pale as the familiar voice invaded his ears, and he knew they were done for. "What happened to your arm Yahiko?" The man asked concernedly. Nagato moved out of his way as he knelt down next to them. He gently took Yahiko's arm and started to fix it up.

"Sorry we failed Master Jiraiya." Nagato stated solemnly. Jiraiya simply smiled as he finished fixing Yahiko's wound and patted Nagato on the head.

"You'll get it next time kid. For now, lets' s get some rest. Yahiko needs it." Nagato glanced at his teammate and nodded firmly.

It had been three months since Jiraiya had taken the orphans as apprentices. In that time they bad learned faster than any shinobi he had met before. They had such raw talent, or mYbe it was what drove them, but whatever it was it was astounding. Especially Nagato; his eyes were. limitless source of wonder and discovery. Jiraiya was honestly a little jealous. The boy could do just about anything he wanted with those eyes.

But that wasn't even the most impressive part. What really blew Jiraiya's mind was their synergy. They worked together like a team that had been through three wars together. Hell, they reminded him of his team, except they had no training at all. If anything they were better. By miles.

"Master Jiraiya! Read us another one of your stories! But not the weird ones..." Konan trailed off as she snapped Jiraiya out of his thoughts. He laughed and stood.

"Sure Konan, just give me a minute to think of one..."

XxX

**A/N: So I apologize for this. I actually think this has been done for awhile, buf ive just not given any fucks at all. So heres the deal with this. I dont care about it anymore. Naruto got boring. After Pein, so this has been long coming. However, this more than anything else I'm kinda proud of, and I feel like a shithead cocksocker if I didnt finish it. So I will. Somehow. Im really almost done, so it shouldn't be hard. Anyway if yi ure actually still reading thank you, seriously, you're crazy XD. Hope you enjoyed.**


	42. Author's Note

Author's Note:

So, within the past like two weeks I've gotten emails about this story, which surprises me still. But, it's sparked my interest one again, so I'm going to be working on this heavily for a while. I've already edited the first chapter, and hopefully by the end of the week they will all be edited. I re-read the entire thing, and it seems there are a shit-ton of errors, minor plot holes and dialogue bits that don't make sense or contradict each other. It needs to be worked on. So, once I'm done that, then I will finish the story, because really it's almost done. And the ending is why I wrote this entire thing in the first place. So, please, be a little bit more patient, and I swear the end is coming soon. I just wanna thank you guys for actually reading this. It seems like it's a pretty popular story, and I've gotten a lot of good reviews. So thank you. Really. And keep your eyes peeled.


	43. Chapter 43

Ok, so I know this is the second Author's Note I've put in lace of a chapter but just hear me out.

First of all, sorry. Let's just get that out of the way. To every person who has ever viewed, reviewed, followed or favorited this story, i truly want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. This is the first piece of work I've ever written, Fanfiction or not, that has gotten so far and had so much love. I really can't thank you guys enough.

That being said, I don't want this to die. I'm pretty proud of this story, as bad as it is. And I'm going to rewrite it. I want to add in a bunch of new stuff. I want to add in a history that directly effects events later on. I want to give Tsunade, Kakashi, my OC Kairi, and the Rookie Nine increased roles in the beginning. I also want to just do a lot more character building. Really build up the relationship between Shikamaru, Sasuke and Naruto, as well as with other people. I also want to throw in scenes involving Minato, Kushina, Hashirama, Hanzo, the masked man(whose identity may or may not be known to you), but as a background. Probably as those little short chroncicles i do at the end, just to give it more depth. And I need to add lots and lots of description. A problem with fanfiction that has affected my writing style greatly is that there is no description because it is assumed that you know what everything looks like. I mean, how many of you need a description of Naruto? You know he's the blonde idiot with whisker marks who likes orange. But that doesnt mean that a good story doesnt need it. I need to learn to be patient. Because thats what i feel description is; the patience of making everything sound perfect.

So I've begun to ramble and I feel like half of that paragraph didnt make sense. But I think you get what I'm trying to say. I WANT TO FINISH THIS STORY. It will be so much better, but it may take a very long time. Right now I'd like to hear your guys opinions. I can't finish this story the way it is, so I want to hear what you think I should do. I always need a good kick in the ass to get going to please feel free to point out how lazy I've been, just dont be too much of a dick XD.

Anyway, like I said, I'm going to be working on rehauling this. I don't know how long it will take. But I'm not going to give up this time. I need something to keep my attention so I'm going to be switching between this, the Digimon story i randomly started for some stupid reason, and the cartoon show that I'm writing on my own. If you show me your support I would be a hell of a lot more motivated, but I wont tell you what to do. I have been jerking you around for like 3 years now so you have every right to be mad. Anyway once again I just really really really really really wanna thank all of you for reading this. It really means a lot to me. Who would have ever though 344,000+ people would ever read something I wrote right? Crazy stuff. You guys rock and this is for you.


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